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CLEARWATER, Fla. -- A highly touted Phillies pitching prospect will face the Yankees in his Grapefruit League debut. It’s a matchup that should sound familiar to longtime Phillies fans. Phillies right-hander Andrew Painter is the Phillies’ No. 2 prospect and the No. 28 overall prospect in baseball, according to MLB Pipeline. He will start Sunday afternoon against New York at BayCare Ballpark, bringing back memories of Cole Hamels’ Grapefruit League debut against the Yankees on March 5, 2004, at Legends Field in Tampa. Hamels was only 20 years old then. He was MLB.com’s No. 6 prospect, behind Joe Mauer, B.J. Upton, Greg Miller, Zack Greinke and Edwin Jackson. He pitched two scoreless innings, but his first inning of work is what everybody remembers. He struck out Derek Jeter swinging on a 1-2 changeup, Alex Rodriguez looking at a 1-2 changeup and Tony Clark swinging on a 2-2 changeup. |
“He was pretty impressive,” Rodriguez said. “I didn’t have a gun, but it looked like he was throwing [his fastball] 92-94 [mph]. And he had an impressive changeup.” But was it a big league changeup? “It looked like one,” Jeter said. That was Hamels’ first career Grapefruit League appearance. This will be Painter’s second. He pitched two innings against the Twins in Fort Myers on March 1, 2023. “I believe this kid’s going to be a star,” Twins shortstop Carlos Correa said then. |
Painter didn’t pitch again that year. He sustained an injured right elbow that later required Tommy John surgery. It’s been a long road back. So, yeah, Painter said earlier this week that he was looking forward to his first start. “A little bit,” he said. “But I just try to treat it like another day, another start. I feel like the days I am too amped up, that’s where stuff might get a little too quick. I might start missing glove-side. I think everything gets out of sync. I think the more in rhythm I can be and not trying to do too much, I think the body moves best and that’s where the command is really at its best.” Nobody knows who the Yankees will send across the Courtney Campbell Causeway on Sunday. But it is a short enough drive to think at least a couple of the big fellas -- Aaron Judge will be with Team USA for the World Baseball Classic -- might make the trip. Either way, get your spot on the berm early. |
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MLB MORNING LINEUP PODCAST |
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Phillies right-hander Taijuan Walker will start Thursday’s game against the Nationals. He will leave camp on Saturday to pitch for Mexico in the World Baseball Classic. Who has the highest WAR of any Mexican-born player in Phillies history? A. Fernando Valenzuela B. Victor Arano C. Ruben Amaro Sr. D. Sid Monge |
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WHEELER'S RIB, KELLER'S RIB ... |
Phillies ace Zack Wheeler kept his first rib as a souvenir in September, when he had thoracic outlet decompression surgery. It’s sitting in a case in his closet. Phillies right-hander Brad Keller had the same surgery as Wheeler in October 2023. So, where’s his rib? “I still have my rib,” Keller said, almost sounding disappointed. “I had my pec minor released and had my nerve bundle cleaned up … so I still have my first rib in there. It’s funny because everybody who’s had [thoracic outlet] surgery and got the rib out, they all have stories about where the rib is.” Keller said he has one friend who displays his rib in a biohazard bag on his mantle. “I went to his house, it’s all nicely decorated and everything -- and then there’s his rib just sitting there in a bag,” Keller said laughing. Keller’s other buddy, Nate Karns, had the same surgery in 2017. Karns pitched with the rib in his back pocket. Keller recalls Karns going to the lunch room, grabbing a couple napkins and stuffing the rib in his back pocket. “Why do you have it?” Keller said. “Because I want to be 100% out there,” his friend replied. If you think that’s just a great line, it’s not. Karns once told reporters that he was “excited to clean it up and put it in a necklace, and wear it around -- that way I'll be a 100% skeleton instead of 99%." |
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ON THIS DATE IN PHILLIES HISTORY |
Phillies ace Robin Roberts signed a one-year, $40,000 contract on Feb. 26, 1954, making him the highest-paid pitcher in National League history. The Phillies initially offered Roberts a paycut because he went only 23-16 with a 2.75 ERA in 1953, which was worse than his 28-7 record and 2.59 ERA in 1952. “It’s my business what I’m getting, though I can say I’m well pleased,” Roberts told The Philadelphia Inquirer. |
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C. Ruben Amaro Sr. The 1964 Gold Glove winner had 3.6 WAR with the Phillies from 1960-65. |
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