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Andrew Painter Dazzles Full Arsenal in Major League Debut
By Luke Arcaini
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It’s been 1,724 days since the Phillies drafted Andrew Painter in the 1st round of the 2021 MLB Draft, and 980 days since receiving Tommy John surgery.
“I walked in the training room before the game, and they were getting him ready to go out,” Rob Thomson said. “I told him to go out, enjoy the moment, and be yourself.”
When Painter walked out to the mound at 6:40 EST, he had not only his 50+ family and friends on his side, but the 40,709 fans in attendance, along with Phillies fans across the world.
“Just be yourself” is easier said than done when you’re a top prospect. Luckily for Painter, that ask from the Phillies skipper wasn’t a difficult one.
When Painter threw the first pitch of his career, a 96.6 mph fastball to James Wood, he became the youngest Phillies starting pitcher to make his major league debut since Ranger Suarez in 2018, and the youngest Phillies starter to make his debut at Citizens Bank Park since Aaron Nola in 2015.
Painter struck out James Wood, his first batter faced, on five pitches. Usually, when a pitcher makes his debut, they get two balls thrown to the dugout; their first out, and their first strikeout. But when you combine the two like Painter, you just get one.
Painter looked comfortable early, which was my biggest thing to watch tonight. No matter what anyone says, there are always a little bit of nerves in a debut. Painter never seemed scared of the moment. He attacked hitters early, especially with his fastball. It was an 11-pitch first inning with three first-pitch strikes. Phillies fans haven’t had a lot to cheer about the last few days, but when Painter walked off the field after a 1-2-3 first, the crowd was the loudest they’ve been since the 9th inning on Saturday.
It’s been a dreadful few days for the Phillies offense. They needed a jolt tonight, especially for Painter. Who else but Kyle Schwarber to get the scoring started with a solo shot off of the Toyota sign in right field?
What stuck out to me the most from Painter’s debut was his secondary pitches. There has been a lot of talk about his fastball since his return. Before his Tommy John surgery, that was Painter’s pitch. It had a ton of movement and really caught hitters off guard. Since his return to game-action in AAA in 2025, it was a pretty flat pitch, and hitters took advantage of it. He worked through some arm-slot things this offseason, and the pitch is slowly getting back to where it once was.
Luckily, his curveball stole the show on Tuesday night. It was a legit put-away pitch on multiple occasions. It never got too high in the zone, and it never felt like a hanger. It felt like every time Painter threw the pitch, it was in the perfect spot. His eight strikeouts ended on one fastball, three changeups, two curveballs, and two sliders.
“Probably,” said when Thomson when asked if Tuesday was the best he’s ever seen Painter’s curveball. “I’d have to think back on spring training, but it’s been good, and it was really, really good tonight.”
Painter’s night ended in the sixth inning. It was an unbelievably encouraging debut for the 22-year old. 5.1 IP, 4 H, 1 ER, 1 BB, 8 Ks, on 84 pitches, 57 strikes. The only run allowed was after Painter exited the game on a throwing error from Adolis Garcia that went into the stands, allowing CJ Abrams to score.
The Phillies had two home runs on the night from Kyle Schwarber and Adolis Garcia, along with some good innings from Phillies relievers, but nothing stood out quite like Painter. It’s deserved. It’s been a long road mixed with some doubt as the wait got longer.
“We’ve been waiting a while for this, so have our players,” Rob Thomson said to reporters postgame. “Whether it’s Painter, or Crawford, or any of these young guys. When those young guys come up, there’s a lot of excitement, and guys root for them because they remember their first appearance in the big leagues. They were really excited for him.”
One start doesn’t define a pitcher, but Tuesday night felt like an exception. The outing wasn’t always a cake walk for Painter, but the last four years haven’t been either. There were challenges that Painter had to fight through, and he did. The walk off the mound into a cap-tip to 40,000 people made it all worth it.
Luke Arcaini writes about the Phillies for Crossing Broad, covers the Phillies for FOX Sports The Gambler, and co-hosts "Phillies Digest" on YouTube. The wave is the worst thing in all of sports. Contact: lukearcaini8@gmail.com