I posted after seeing him a couple of times in Clearwater before he moved up to LV. At this point, it’s about getting him comfortable and getting into his routine. I posted that his secondary pitches needed work and it looks like he has ramped up usage of secondary pitches. Painter will not succeed this summer just pumping fastballs past MLB hitters.
Right now, they have to be happy. There have been no issues and he’s adjusting to pitching again. Stay the course. There are people we all know and when they speak you listen. One of them said he reminds him of Gerrit Cole. Multiple people have said he’s the best pitching prospect in the minor leagues. He has everything in place whether it be stuff, work ethic, maturity. He’s also got the frame to be physically dominant as he gets a bit older and fills out that frame.
Ideally, I’d not count on him in a meaningful way, I’d bring him along slowly and carefully. If that means he finds his way to the roster, so be it. If they pitch him through a full development year, I’m fine with that as well.
The one thing I think of at times is Doc. Doc had settled into a role where the young farm pitchers could sit with him and talk about preparing to be a professional even before talking about pitching. He was great and after the initial awe of the fact that it was Doc, he made a difference. I have thought of Painter and how he could have benefitted from that. Zach will be a great mentor to Painter. You never know but I’d be shocked if Painter is not a mainstay and horse for this team.
