As Director of Pro Scouting, I lead a talented group of evaluators as we break down future stars. You can find me at random California League games throughout the season!
The Phillies' season might not have ended the way their fans would have wanted, but for a Dave Dombrowski-led team, they still have quite the farm system—at the time of writing and evaluating this list, that is. The Phillies' system is headlined by Andrew Painter, who, despite not looking fully like himself at points, still flashed the upside we want to see from one of the game’s premier pitching prospects. The year after Tommy John surgery can be rough for a pitcher, so we are not over-indexing on his first year back from TJ. The system is relatively strong; Aidan Miller should make his major league debut in 2026 and provide the Phillies some youth and offensive upside. Their draft was very pitching-heavy, as they selected Prospects Live favorites, Gage Wood and Sean Youngerman, and Wood allowed them to take a calculated gamble on Matthew Fischer in the second round of the draft. The Phillies have done a good job with prep pitchers lately in the draft, and pitching in general. The Phillies may get aggressive as they have some prospects they can move, and their window may slowly be closing. Keep an eye on them to utilize their farm system to reinforce their major league team as they try and win Bryce Harper and Co. a ring.
About Our Top 20 Lists
Prospects Live, led by its evaluating team & Director of Scouting Rhys White, is proud to begin rolling out its annual offseason system reports. The team combines industry feedback, our live looks, film, and available data to compile each org. We believe this effort has enabled us to present you, the reader, with our best possible view of the prospects in the organization.
We have constructed this list using the Overall Future Potential (OFP) scale. There is no perfect equation for ranking prospects or assigning value to them, but we believe this method is the best possible approach. Every prospect on this list has been graded based on the tried and true 20-80 scouting scale. An 80 is the highest tool and OFP grade on the scale, reserved for MVP-caliber players or tools. Conversely, a 20 is reserved for non-prospects (NPs). A 50 OFP falls in the middle, indicating our evaluators deem this player a future average major league player. Below the 50 OFP tier are the 45s and 40s, comprising a large majority of players on each list. These are specific-role players, such as platoon hitters, utility players, or low-leverage relievers. Above the 50 OFP tier are the 55s and 60s. A 55 represents a future above-average player, and a 60 OFP designation is reserved for future All-Star caliber players.
In addition to the tool grades and OFP, we will also include a 'Risk' associated with each prospect. We use this to better communicate to you, the reader, whether a grade is more aggressive or conservative in nature. The evaluation team has worked hard to apply both the grades and risk components to better illustrate how each individual prospect stacks up in their respective system and in the baseball ecosystem.
Andrew Painter finally returned to the mound in 2025 after a two-year hiatus, showing flashes of his pre–Tommy John form — plus a newly added sweeper — in the 2024 Arizona Fall League. He spent the entire 2025 season with Triple-A Lehigh Valley, showcasing a slightly modified delivery: a lower arm angle, less torso tilt, and a more upright posture. Despite the visual change, his release height and extension remained consistent compared to 2022. So why has the four-seam fastball lost some of its bite? Once a double-plus monster, it now grades more as a plus or above-average pitch. The cleaner, more repeatable delivery might have cost him a touch of deception into release. His 17% whiff rate this season is a sharp contrast to the dominant results he posted on the same pitch in 2022. Still, given its carry, velocity, and shape, the four-seamer should continue to play at least above-average. Painter and the Phillies appear to recognize that the fastball can’t shoulder the same workload as before, leading to the introduction of a “dead zone” sinker to jam right-handers inside. That adjustment has paired well with his outstanding glove-side shapes, as Painter now flashes three to four distinct breaking ball looks, most grading around plus. The sweeper, which he again reintroduced in July (around 83 mph), shows lift but can also morph into a slurve with added depth, whether due to inconsistent shape or actual manipulation. His tighter, shorter slider near 88 mph is his best secondary weapon — it eats up right-handers but will need to be located better as a chase pitch just off the plate. A flashing plus curveball and a more vertically oriented cutter give him multiple looks to both sides of the plate, but are particularly effective against lefties. Painter’s splitter — which he visibly presets in his glove by pushing it into the palm of his glove — gained more drop as the season progressed, developing into a true offspeed option against both righties and lefties. That improvement likely stems from either an orientation tweak or simply greater comfort throwing the pitch after a full season of use. Even post-surgery, Painter owns six to eight legitimate offerings (depending on classification) and maintains above-average command projection. Chalk up the occasional inconsistency to post–Tommy John feel. If the fastball regains its old explosiveness, great — but even as is, there’s a workable mix and sequencing with awesome glove-side shapes and strike throwing from a towering height. Painter still projects comfortably as a No. 2 starter with frontline upside and should reach Philadelphia by 2026. - Brandon Tew
As Director of Pro Scouting, I lead a talented group of evaluators as we break down future stars. You can find me at random California League games throughout the season!
Director of Dynasty Content - Canadian born and raised, moved to Arkansas with my wife and two sons Ezra and Ari. Followed and played baseball my whole life; played dynasty for 25+ years.
As Director of Pro Scouting, I lead a talented group of evaluators as we break down future stars. You can find me at random California League games throughout the season!
As Director of Pro Scouting, I lead a talented group of evaluators as we break down future stars. You can find me at random California League games throughout the season!
As Director of Pro Scouting, I lead a talented group of evaluators as we break down future stars. You can find me at random California League games throughout the season!
