Subtle Change Has Improved Andrew Painter With Phillies

The Philadelphia Phillies have been desperate for someone to step up as the No. 5 starting pitcher in their rotation.

It has been a black hole all season long. Taijuan Walker, Andrew Painter, Alan Rangel and a host of openers and bulk-inning pitchers have struggled to produce with any consistency. Things got so bad for Painter that he was demoted in June after a disastrous start against the Miami Marlins, in which he was tagged for six runs in two innings.

He spent the next few weeks with Triple-A Lehigh Valley, where he started to gain his confidence back. In need of a starting pitcher on July 31, the team decided to turn back to Painter.

He performed well enough in that start that the team changed their MLB trade deadline plans, and he has rewarded them with great production. And there is one subtle change that has led to the improvement on the mound.

What has Andrew Painter adjusted with his pitching grip?

Philadelphia Phillies starting pitcher Andrew Painter (24) throws against the St. Louis Cardinals. — Aug 10, 2026; St. Louis, Missouri, USA; Philadelphia Phillies starting pitcher Andrew Painter (24) throws against the St. Louis Cardinals during the first inning at Busch Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Curry-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

As shared by Lance Brozdowski on X, Painter has changed how he grips his pitch. He has made an adjustment from his old splitter to a new changeup, and the results have been fantastic thus far.

This new grip has led to Painter throwing the ball harder with more drop. In April, he averaged 87.2 mph on the pitch. Since his return, he is up to 90.1 mph, along with the added drop, making it a tougher pitch to pick up on.

Andrew Painter's new changeup is a subtle tweak off his old splitter. Slight rotation of ball, middle finger closer to his index finger.

April: 87.2 mph, 6.5" vert, 11" arm-side
Since Break: 90.1 mph, 4.7" vert, 13" arm-side

Harder with more drop is a nice combo. #Phillies pic.twitter.com/g2mC68zinv
— Lance Brozdowski (@LanceBroz) August 11, 2026

That change has almost certainly elevated the performance of the other pitches in his arsenal, especially his fastball, and it is easy to see why. As shared by Cole Weintraub, Painter went to the new changeup often throughout the night, and it got the job done.

He threw offering on 31% of his pitches, with 72% of them going for a strike. An incredible 50% chase rate was generated, and three of the six strikeouts that he recorded during the outing against the St. Louis Cardinals came on that new changeup.

Painter stepped up when the team needed him most and got the job done, relying on a new pitch. He threw 5.1 innings, throwing 91 pitches, on a night the team was incredibly shorthanded on the mound.

Andrew Painter actually featured his new circle-change tonight (31%), and it worked out.

Spun it for strikes 72% of the time, generated 50% chase and tallied half of his six strikeouts with the pitch.

That offering has improved his entire repertoire, especially his fastball.
— Cole Weintraub (@WeintraubCole) August 11, 2026

Rangel threw 2.2 innings, and then Jonathan Bowlan came in to close things out in the ninth for his first career save and a huge win for the team. He was the last bullet interim manager Don Mattingly had, as backup catcher Garrett Stubbs would have taken the mound in extra innings.

Luckily, that scenario was avoided in large part because of the strong outing from Painter. The rookie looks to be figuring things out, which is huge for a team that has been reeling in the second half of the season.

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