All eyes will be on one man in the Phillies minor league system tonight. For another person in the same ballpark, it’s quite literally his job.
“I appreciate everyone coming to watch me play tonight,” Garrett Stubbs joked to the media.
Stubbs, the former backup Phillies catcher, isn’t the reason for Philadelphia media making the hour trip north to Lehigh Valley. That honor goes to Andrew Painter, Philly’s No. 1 prospect who is set to make his first Triple-A start with the IronPigs.
Stubbs will be behind the plate as Painter’s battery mate, with the job of guiding him through his first taste of major league quality talent. Painter pitched well in his rehab starts but did so against the lowest level of professional competition. Before that, he never tossed an inning above Double-A.
“I’m excited,” Stubbs said about catching Painter. “I think everyone’s excited… Everyone knows how good he is, how good he can be. So I’m excited for him, mostly. He’s had a lot to overcome his first couple years in pro baseball.”
Painter missed two entire seasons recovering from Tommy John surgery. Despite that, he’s still considered to be the No. 7 prospect across all of MLB. With a fastball that can reach 100 mph and an above-average slider and changeup, the 22-year-old has the potential to become a front-end starter in what’s already a stacked Philadelphia rotation.
Stubbs has stayed healthy throughout his career, but the vet knowns how fortunate Painter has been to recover from the injury with his velocity – and pedigree – intact.
“To get to this point is tough. I haven’t had to go through it, but I know a lot of guys that have. So to get to the point where he’s pitching in a real game, especially at this level, is awesome.”
Painter had thrown three innings in each of his previous three starts with Single-A Clearwater. This time, he’s set to go four innings or about 60-65 pitches, according to Lehigh Valley manager Anthony Contreras.
As for Stubbs, who has quickly become a fan favorite and key contributor for the ‘Pigs, he is staying focused on finding his own path back to the majors. Working a little magic with Painter’s progression can’t hurt his odds.
Tonight’s game is free to stream on MiLB.TV with first pitch at 6:45 EST.
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