Grading First Three Appearances for Phillies' Top Prospect Andrew Painter in Majors

What grade should Andrew Painter receive for his first three appearances in the majors?

Apr 6, 2026; San Francisco, California, USA; Philadelphia Phillies pitcher Andrew Painter (24) throws a pitch during the first inning against the San Francisco Giants at Oracle Park. | Bob Kupbens-Imagn Images

The Philadelphia Phillies aren’t quite off to the start that they would have liked this season, but this still should be one of the best teams in the league when it’s all said and done. 

With some lackluster performances by the Phillies so far, there is reason to be concerned about how they have performed. Of their concerns, the lineup has to be at the top of the list. 

Despite having some big names in the batting order, this is a group that, overall, has had some struggles. While it is encouraging to see Bryce Harper getting off to a good start, there hasn’t been much help around him. That is an area that is certainly going to have to improve, but Philadelphia does have a strong pitching staff capable of carrying this team. 

Even though the rotation isn’t at 100% right now with Zack Wheeler still out, there are still some really talented pitchers on the roster for the team. One of the pitchers who has been performing well is rookie Andrew Painter. The young right-hander has now made three appearances for the team, and the results have been good. Here is a grade for his first three outings. 

Painter Gets B+

; Philadelphia Phillies starting pitcher Andrew Painter | Kyle Ross-Imagn Images

With three appearances in the majors so far, Painter has started to show early on why he has been regarded as a top prospect in the organization. The right-hander made his debut against the Washington Nationals and was able to secure the first win of his career in his first start. In the win, he went 5.1 innings, allowing one run on four hits, one walk, and striking out eight batters. It was pretty close to a perfect debut for Painter, who handled the pressure well. 

In his second start, he had some issues against the San Francisco Giants. In a no-decision, he totaled four innings and allowed four runs on nine hits and one walk. Furthermore, he was only able to strike out one batter. 

While he was scheduled for his third start of the year on Sunday, a strange occurrence happened with him being scratched because of a migraine. However, he ended up coming in for the third inning and pitched fantastic. He totaled five innings and allowed just one run on three hits with one walk and struck out seven batters. 

Through three appearances, the results for Painter have been very good. It is easy to see why he has been so highly regarded, and the sky is the limit for the 23-year-old.