Feb 23, 2023; Clearwater, FL, USA; Philadelphia Phillies pitcher Andrew Painter (76) during photo day at BayCare Ballpark. Mandatory Credit: Nathan Ray Seebeck-USA TODAY Sports
Early Friday morning, Bryce Harper and Kyle Schwarber sauntered onto Richie Ashburn Field behind Bay Care Ballpark and took a seat behind a screen at third base.
Former Phillies pitcher Cole Hamels took a spot a little further down the third base line.
Manager Rob Thomson and pitching coach Caleb Cotham stood out near second base.
Fans packed into a holding area between third base and home plate. Cameras were rolling.
What had their interest?
Andrew Painter was about to face live batters for the first time in Spring Training.
Now, this wasn't the first time he has faced hitters since recovering from Tommy John surgery in 2023 - he did pitch and pitch well in the Arizona Fall League in October and November - but this was the first time he was facing live hitters - major league hitters at that - since the Phillies arrived in camp last month.
And while Painter is still a few months away from being ready to pitch in the majors, this was a moment no one wanted to miss.
He threw 20 pitches, a mix of fastballs, sliders, curves, and a new pitch he's been tinkering with - a change up.
He faced Alec Bohm once and Bryson Stott and Brandon Marsh twice each.
He didn't generate any swings and misses - hell, Bohm didn't even take the bat off his shoulders - and although both Stott and Marsh got a couple good swings off him, Painter was happy with his outing.
"The first thing is health and I walked out of there feeling pretty good," Painter said. "I felt like it was coming out pretty good and I talked to the hitters and they felt the same.
"I'll have a couple more of these and then start to build up."
Andrew Painter faces his first live batters in Spring Training - Alec Bohm and Bryson Stott. (He also faced Brandon Marsh, not in the video): pic.twitter.com/pV5yoro62v
Painter said his biggest takeaways were related to his new pitch - the change up - which he threw to Marsh and Marsh told him they looked good. That and that he felt like he could land all four of his pitches into the strike zone.
Painter has had an opportunity to talk with Hamels about throwing the change up, and also about what it's like to be a top, homegrown pitching prospect and the expectations both within the organization and the fanbase.
"I had a good conversation with him a couple weeks ago," Painter said. "We talked about the change up, different arm slots and stuff like that. He was reminding me to throw it middle and let the action do the work."
Although present, Painter was not participating the annual spring breakout game between the Phillies top prospects and an opponent's top prospects - in Friday's case, the Pittsburgh Pirates, although he was wishing he could be out there. "I'd take any game action," he said.
But he also knows, after his experience a couple years ago, that he needs to do a slower build up if he wants to be the durable, top of the rotation pitcher that the Phillies expect him to be for many years.
"You got to ease into it," he said. "This was just the first one. Two years ago the first one felt pretty good (throwing 99 MPH) and that led to some problems. I got to take it nice and easy."
