The Phillies select Andrew Painter 13th overall in the 2021 MLB Draft

With the 13th selection in the 2021 MLB Draft, the Phillies selected RHP Andrew Painter out of Calvary Christian High School in Florida.

Long considered among the absolute cream of the crop of the high school pitchers in this class, the only thing that has kept Painter out of the discussion of the top tier of players in this draft was a combination of a somewhat sluggish start to this season and teams generally valuing prep arms (and in particular righthanders) a bit lower. Make no mistake, in terms of pure talent, Andrew Painter is right up there with anyone.

Possessing a huge frame (6’6 and 230 pounds) and smooth mechanics, Painter possesses a wide array of high quality paired with control that is rarely seen from prep pitchers. His fastball that sits into the mid-90’s that he can hold late into starts and has touched higher than that. He also possesses a changeup that works well off of his fastball and is his second best pitch. He throws a slider and a curveball and while those two pitches aren’t as good as his FB/CH combo, both should end up being above average when paired with his arm slot and control. It’s rare to find prep pitching prospects with Painter’s arsenal combined with his present control in addition to some projectability. He could end up being an absolute steal if things break his way as he develops.