Andrew Painter and Mick Abel are coming and with each passing night, it’s becoming clear how the Philadelphia Phillies will manage two of the best pitchers in the entire minor leagues.
Second Half Debut for Andrew Painter
The Phillies have been eyeing a “July-ish” window for Andrew Painter’s MLB debut, and after his latest Triple-A start, it is becoming clear that fans won’t be seeing him in the big leagues until after the All-Star break.
With the break running from July 14-17, the Phillies plan to use that period to give Painter a breather before easing him into the rotation in the second half. Rob Thomson said Friday that a pre-break debut is unlikely, and the organization is in no rush to push the 22-year-old.
Painter’s most recent outing showed exactly why there is so much excitement. He threw a career-high 81 pitches over five innings, allowing two runs and striking out five against Norfolk. He faced a tough lineup that included last year’s AL Rookie of the Year runner-up, Colton Cowser, and 2024 All-Star Jordan Westburg. Cowser doubled off Painter three times, but outside of that, the right-hander was in control.
Andrew Painter continues to build momentum in Triple-A with another strong outing
His velocity was consistently in the 98-99 mph range, and the breaking ball looked sharp. His next outing will be Wednesday against Charlotte with a pitch target around 85. If he is efficient, he could finally stretch into six innings.
Thomson made it clear that health remains the key focus. Painter already looks the part of a big-league starter, and once he arrives, he will be used in the rotation.
The Phillies are not ready to discuss how the rotation will be adjusted, though a six-man staff is on the table if it can be structured to avoid giving pitchers like Zack Wheeler too much downtime.
While Painter builds toward his debut, Mick Abel continues to turn heads.
Mick Abel should still be in the Phillies’ rotation. Expect him to back next week.
Abel tossed another strong outing Friday night, allowing an unearned run over 4⅔ innings with eight strikeouts.
Over his last seven Triple-A starts, Mick Abel owns a 1.08 ERA with 50 strikeouts in 41⅔ innings. That stretch also includes his dominant MLB debut earlier this month against the Pirates.
Mick Abel: 4.2 IP, 4 H, 1 R, 0 ER, 3 BB, 8 K
This level of performance was not expected from Abel this soon. A year ago, control issues were holding him back. Even though the walks haven’t completely disappeared, he is now pitching through traffic with poise and generating weaker contact.
Thomson praised his mindset, especially after returning to Triple-A following his big-league debut, noting that some players struggle to stay sharp after being sent back down.
Mick Abel, instead, has elevated his game.
Get Mick Abel back in the rotation. The Phillies are not handling this correctly. Taijuan Walker cannot start another game for this baseball team. His contract is basically holding the Phillies hostage and even considering him over Mick Abel right now is just stupid.
The Phillies rotation is getting crowded, Walker’s rough outing Friday only adds to the intrigue. Walker allowed four runs in four innings in the 6-2 loss to Milwaukee.
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He is still expected to move to the bullpen when Aaron Nola returns from his ankle sprain, though the Phillies could and most definitely should choose to make that move sooner and bring Abel back up next week.
Nola is progressing, set to throw a bullpen session Sunday, but still needs to field and face live hitters before beginning a short rehab assignment.
The Phillies will weigh all of this in the coming days. For now, they have two of the best young arms in the minors trending upward, and it is only a matter of time before Painter and Abel are both making an impact in South Philly.
With the team already contending at the top of the National League, the reinforcements on the way could give them an even bigger edge for the second half. For Abel, that edge should rejoin the Phillies rotation within the coming weeks.
