Philadelphia Phillies manager Rob Thomson has offered a bold take on pitcher Andrew Painter.
Philadelphia Phillies pitcher Andrew Painter put together his best outing of Spring Training on Wednesday, tossing four scoreless innings during his team's win over the Atlanta Braves.
Painter allowed just two baserunners on the afternoon, striking out three. It was a great way for the youngster to gear up for his big-league debut.
The 22-year-old will be a member of the Phillies' starting rotation to begin the regular season, which will make him the first Philadelphia pitcher to start a major-league game since Ranger Suarez back in 2018.
So, how is Phillies manager Rob Thomson feeling about Painter? Let's just say he is loving what he is seeing from his top prospect.
“After today, the confidence should be pretty high,” Thomson said, via Matt Gelb of The Athletic. “I mean, he took down a pretty good lineup. And his stuff was excellent.”
Painter has logged a 2.31 ERA across four exhibition starts, surrendering seven hits while issuing just two walks.
Philadelphia Phillies pitcher Andrew Painter. Credit: Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images.It has been an arduous road back for the right-hander, who underwent Tommy John surgery in 2023 and missed the entire 2024 minor-league campaign as a result.
Painter returned to action last year and struggled mightily in Triple-A, posting a 5.40 ERA and 1.547 WHIP over 22 starts. But because it was his first year back from Tommy John surgery, concerns were mostly tempered.
The rough season did not stop Painter from tumbling in prospect rankings, however. Once viewed as a top-five prospect in all of baseball, Prospect fell to No. 32 on Baseball America's most recent top 100 list.
However, the former first-round pick has certainly rebuilt some of his stock this spring by flashing tremendous stuff, much like he did during his first minor-league season back in 2022 when he recorded a 1.56 ERA and a 6.20 K/BB ratio through 22 starts.
The Phillies lost Suarez to free agency and are waiting on Zack Wheeler to return from thoracic outlet syndrome, so Painter's production in 2026 — especially early in the year — will be critical for Thomson's club.
We'll see if the Pompano Beach, Fl. native is up for the challenge and if he is able to stick in the big leagues all season.
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