Phillies optimistic on prospects Andrew Painter, Justin Crawford despite missing call-ups
Andrew Painter and Justin Crawford were fast risers in the Philadelphia Phillies system, quick enough to be on the front office's radar for a promotion this season. Neither promotion happened, each for entirely different reasons.
Painter appeared to be on a fast track to the majors in late May as he was mowing down hitters in Single-A Clearwater and Triple-A Lehigh Valley, as general manager Dave Dombrowski's "July-ish" comments from last offseason spread like wildfire. Crawford was also hitting his way to the majors, but the performances of Brandon Marsh in left field and the resurgence of Max Kepler kept him buried in Triple-A Lehigh Valley.
At the end of the day, the Phillies played well enough to keep their top prospects down. Whether there was a timetable or not for Painter and Crawford is up for debate.
"If you read and you look back, I said he would be able to join," Dombrowski said regarding Painter. "I did not say he was going to join. Those are significantly different, and he was ready to join. That's what we were looking to do. He was capable of coming."
There was no confusion regarding Crawford, who played his way into consideration to join the Phillies outfield this summer. After the deadline trade for Harrison Bader, the only way Crawford was going to crack the Phillies' lineup was if he played every day. Dombrowski did scout Crawford for a week in Lehigh Valley in early June, right before Bryce Harper went on the IL and the team decided to bring up Otto Kemp.
"I would have felt very comfortable in Justin Crawford if we had to bring him up at some point," Dombrowski said. "We talked about it at the time (early June), but the need wasn't there at that particular time. We always said if he was coming up he was going to play every day."
Marsh hit .303 with an .836 OPS since May 1, having the highest batting average in the National League since May 1 amongst outfielders. Kepler hit .250 with a .791 OPS since Aug. 1 while Bader hit .305 with an .824 OPS since joining the Phillies (his first game was Aug. 1).
There was no room at the inn for Crawford, whose season ended in early September when he collided with Otto Kemp and suffered a concussion and broken teeth. Crawford led the International League in batting average at .334, and he will factor in the Phillies' plans next year.
"But we would have felt very comfortable doing something," Dombrowski said. "He will have a chance to compete for a spot in the spring."
Painter didn't have the same success in Triple-A as Crawford. In his first year coming off Tommy John surgery, the Phillies' top prospect went 5-6 with a .540 ERA for Lehigh Valley, striking out 111 and walking 46 in his 22 starts. Command was the issue for Painter all summer, which is the last thing that comes back for pitchers that have Tommy John surgery.
The "July-ish" quote was the only reason there was a push from outside the Phillies organization for Painter, especially since the Phillies needed starting pitching depth. Dombrowski pushed back on Painter coming up "July-ish," reiterating he would have to earn his way into the rotation.
Like Crawford, that opportunity will come in 2026.
"I think Andrew had a solid year," Dombrowski said. "The stuff was still good. His command wasn't quite as good. We thought it was a very solid season for him. We think he'll be in a position where he'll come to camp next year and be in a position where he can compete for a spot.
"That's really an encouraging type of scenario for him. He's healthy and he feels good."