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Andrew Painter
Scouting grades: Fastball: 70 | Curveball: 50 | Slider: 60 | Changeup: 55 | Control: 65 | Overall: 55
Thought to be the second-best high school right-hander in the 2021 Draft, Painter was the taken in the first round that summer behind Jackson Jobe. He leapt to the head of the pitching prospect ranks with an outstanding first full season of pro ball in 2022, reaching Double-A and being named MLB Pipeline Pitching Prospect of the Year. He appeared to be on a fast track to Philadelphia when an elbow injury shut him down early in 2023, and his Tommy John surgery in late July will keep him out for the 2024 season.
The fact that Painter is still regarded as one of the best pitching prospects in the game while on the sidelines is a testament to his ability. His combination of stuff, size and feel for pitching add to the faith in him, with a legitimate four-pitch mix at his disposal. His fastball can touch triple digits and was averaging around 96 mph at the end of 2022, and he throws both a sinking two-seamer as well as a high-spin four-seamer up in the zone. His slider is an out pitch, a low-80s offering with a ton of break and huge spin rates. His upper-70s curve provides a different look, and his above-average changeup has really improved.
All coming from his 6-foot-7 frame, Painter does an amazing job of repeating his delivery well, enabling him to fill up the zone while missing a ton of bats. He was knocking on the big-league door when the injury occurred, so don’t be surprised to see him get there again quickly once he’s healthy, and it’s important to note that even with the missed time, he’ll be just 22 years old for the entire 2025 season when he’s expected to return. - mlbpipeline
He was 230lbs in OOTP but 215 per MLB and OOTP so I made this with a 215lb weight. I've changed the weight in the db going forward as well.
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