Philadelphia Phillies owner John Middleton reveals potential 2025 plans for top prospects Mick Abel and Andrew Painter.
Phillies' John Middleton Reveals Potential Mick Abel, Andrew Painter Plan originally appeared on Athlon Sports.
The Philadelphia Phillies will face the harsh reality of either having to move on from some of their top prospects at the deadline or bring them up to make an impact on the big league roster.
Whatever the Phillies decide to do, neither would be the right or wrong decision until everything plays out. However, there are also some question marks with a few of those guys, including Mick Abel and Andrew Painter.
There's no denying that Painter has some of the best stuff in the minor leagues, and there's a reason why many believe that he's arguably the top pitching prospect in baseball.
However, it’s also tough to ignore how bad he's been in Triple-A, as he simply hasn't gotten outs at the level the Phillies would need him to in the show.
With how big of a difference it is in Triple-A compared to Major League Baseball, that's a very concerning sign.
And from the sound of things, the Phillies don't plan to move on from him, which isn’t a bad idea.
According to John Middleton, the Phillies could hold on to Abel and Painter, and both of them could make an impact in the near future out of the bullpen.
“I could see Abel coming back up if he’s not up before that for some other reason,” Middleton said, per The Athletic. “I could see Abel in the bullpen, coming out at 97 mph with a really good curveball. Painter might be up here the same way. So, you never know.”
The Phillies' starting rotation, if it stays healthy, is in a very good spot come October.
If Painter and Abel can throw the baseball the way that everybody knows they can, Philadelphia would be in an even better spot.
That's also with the addition of David Robertson, who took a deal with the Phillies on Sunday night.
Related: Phillies Get Good News on Kyle Schwarber Contract Negotiations
This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jul 21, 2025, where it first appeared.
Category: General Sports
