Mick Abel and Andrew Painter are riding strong as the Reading Fightin Phils season nears its finish.
The Philadelphia Phillies pushed their top two pitching prospects to Double-A in late August, and the young right-handers have handled the challenge. Now, with two weeks left in the Eastern League schedule, the pair of starters are pitching as sharply as ever.
Abel, a 2020 first-round draft pick, was named Eastern League Pitcher of the Week for his performance on Sunday at Hartford, where he struck out eight batters over five scoreless innings. Painter, a top pick in 2021, allowed one run in seven innings on Saturday.