Seasoned right-hander Andrew Painter, one of the top prospects in the Phillies coffer, is currently putting his mettle to the test at Triple-A Lehigh Valley. The righty holds the No. 12 rank on the prospect lists, propelling anticipations higher after Mick Abel’s MLB debut induced excitement for fans. On what was a chilly night at Allentown, Pennsylvania, Painter pitched four or more innings with a total of 71 pitches.
Despite the damp weather and the temperature a mere 50 degrees when the game started, his fastball generated speeds between 94-98. In an interesting tactic, the majority of his throws were sliders, pointing towards an intended plan to improve his slider throws, preparing him for the big leagues.
The distinctive characteristic of his sliders is the way they ran more than broke, a detail that could suggest its true form is a cutter. Hitters during the match missed his fastball slightly more often than they did his slider. However, the impeccable performance of his delivery proved that his fastball still has the desired effect.
The baseball prodigy can reliably throw the fastball for strikes, which might not hold quite as true for every other pitch at this point, particularly the slider. Despite the unfavorable, cold weather possibly impacting his grip and control slightly, doubts were shed on his immediate readiness for the big leagues.
His slider technique warrants continuous improvements, and it was noticeable that the changeup throw was absent from that frosty match. His outfield teammate Justin Crawford tripled a fly ball deep into center. But concerns hover about Crawford’s tendency to produce an excess of ground balls, which seems in opposition to his apparent strength and possible electric power.
The previous weekend I journeyed to Somerset to spectate a faceoff between the Red Sox and Yankees’ Double-A affiliates. Among the highlights was Jhostynxon Garcia’s performance, one of his last feats at Double-A before earning his recent promotion to Triple-A Worcester.
This season, Garcia exhibited improvement in his zone awareness during his encore at Double-A, taking his walk rate incrementally from 4.8 percent a month last year, to 13 percent the same span this year before his advancement. Garcia’s power at the plate is significant; Even if the recent surge in his walk-rate is fleeting, his real power, with likely future positioning in right field, continues to impress.
George Lombard Jr., held my primary interest during this game. Featured as 98 in the preseason best-100 cadre, Lombard boasts an impressive swing technique. His movement remains balanced through his swing, finishing with a slight loft, which helps him achieve powerful line-drives.
Another player in focus that evening was Rafael Flores, who rose to professional baseball as an undrafted free agent in the summer of 2022. His prospects for major league integration are bright, likely as a support catcher and perhaps a platoon hitter in substitute appearances, attributing to his potential above-average power and knack for hitting fastballs.
Boston made an intriguing choice with their first pick in the 2022 draft, shortstop Mikey Romero, selected at No. 24, noticeably 55 spots prior to Roman Anthony, the current No. 1 prospect. Recent developments on Romero are pleasing; he appears to have filled out and his power show last year (16 home runs in 78 games) could potentially become a steadier phenomenon.
Another notable development concerned Dave Sandlin, who Boston received in February 2024 through a trade with Kansas City which saw reliever John Schreiber move the other way. Transformation efforts by the Red Sox have pinned Sandlin as a pitcher leaning heavily on sliders and cutters. Hence, he seems marked for a bullpen future, wrapping up the noteworthy scenes from the recent matches.
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