Andrew Painter Has One Key Thing To Fix To Get Back to Phillies

One thing stands out as the biggest area of improvement for Andrew Painter to get back to the Philadelphia Phillies.

Jun 6, 2026; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Philadelphia Phillies pitcher Andrew Painter (24) throws a pitch against the Chicago White Sox during the first inning at Citizens Bank Park. | Bill Streicher-Imagn Images

There were high expectations for Philadelphia Phillies star prospect Andrew Painter coming into the 2026 MLB regular season.

The team gave him as long a leash as they could, but a change had to be made. In his last start against the Miami Marlins, Painter made it through only two innings, surrendering six earned runs and two more home runs.

It is the last start he will make with the Phillies for a little while, as he was optioned to Triple-A Lehigh Valley. The demotion was warranted as he has a 1-8 record with a 7.06 ERA, a 63 ERA+, a 5.51 FIP and 1.662 WHIP.

His performance in 2025, after missing two seasons because of Tommy John surgery, in the minor leagues was not great, and things got worse in 2026. But he has clear areas of weakness to address to get back into the Philadelphia rotation.

Andrew Painter needs to figure out his fastball

Jun 17, 2026; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Philadelphia Phillies starting pitcher Andrew Painter (24) throws a pitch against the Miami Marlins in the first inning at Citizens Bank Park. | Kyle Ross-Imagn Images

The most important thing Painter has to do is figure out his fastball. In his last start against the Marlins, as shared by Pitch Profiler on X, he didn’t generate a single whiff with his four-seam fastball.

Getting the shape and movement back is something pitching coach Caleb Cotham recently spoke about as something Painter is working on. He has not regained the same shape since coming back from surgery, which is a major reason he has struggled as much as he has.

On a positive note, he has at least shown a willingness to mix up his repertoire more. He used his slider more against Miami, as well as his splitter. His four-seam usage has been decreasing, which is something he has to continue working on.

Alas, it didn’t bring the results he was hoping for, and he is now going to have to work on things in the minor leagues.

Andrew Painter still has a viable path to being an MLB starter, especially with his willingness to mix pitches lately.

But it starts with finding a fastball he can execute at a high level with some degree of nastiness. Whether it's a Sinker or Cut Fastball, he needs it. pic.twitter.com/8vxNoGy3Ga

— Pitch Profiler (@pitchprofiler) June 17, 2026

Figuring out a fastball that he can turn to for consistent success is the No. 1 priority for him during his time with Triple-A Lehigh Valley. The four-seamer isn’t working, which means he has to figure out an adjustment to make.

Developing a cutter or splitter could certainly be the answer. Other pitchers have experienced similar struggles in their careers, such as Corbin Burnes, and were able to eventually bounce back. He won the National League Cy Young Award in 2021 and was a four-time All-Star after producing an 8.82 ERA in 2019.

That doesn’t guarantee Painter will become an award winner in two years, but it at least gives some hope to a fan base that is certainly disappointed such a highly-regarded prospect has gotten off to such a slow start in the Big Leagues.

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