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Sure, there is another loss in the ledger for the Phillies, one that will likely be forgotten in due time. We’re still gettin the good Bryson Stott right now, something to keep an eye on once the games actually begin to mean something. But today, this was the day to talk about Andrew Painter.
This was his 2026 spring debut, his first spring start since 2023. That meant that we were finally going to see how he looked three years later. How did it go?
His two innings of work really couldn’t have gone much better. He was getting whiffs, throwing all of his stuff for strikes and generally looking like he belonged. That last part may not seem like a big deal, but it’s no secret he wasn’t up to snuff last year in the minor leagues after we heard all spring how he was a part of their July plans.
His stuff?
The fastball is still a little meh, but the velocity of it today was such that he was able to get some late swings of hitters still getting their sea legs under them. The secondary pitches all looked quite good, that slider to Jasson Dominguez particularly drool worthy.
Painter has a decent amount of expectations on his shoulders this year, so starts like this do have value. It’s nice to see him get off to a good start to his spring.