Right-handed starter Andrew Painter made his MLB debut for the Philadelphia Phillies on Tuesday night against the Washington Nationals. It was a highly anticipated arrival for the top pitching prospect in the Phillies organization. It felt like a long time coming since Painter was drafted back in 2021. He then took the mound in front of a sold-out crowd and was stellar en route to breaking the Phillies' three-game losing streak. The start also finally allowed Phillies fans to put another top pitching prospect in the rearview mirror: Spencer Howard. It's been that long since a pitcher's been purported to be "The One".
Painter pitched a total of 5 1/3 innings and allowed four hits, one run, and one walk. He also struck out a total of eight batters on 84 pitches. The Phillies again struggled to plate runs but were able to hang onto a slim 3-2 lead to secure the first win of Painter's career. It was everything that Phillies fans could have asked for in a debut, and such a stark contrast to the Phillies experience with Howard in 2020.
Andrew Painter's Phillies debut gives much different feel from Spencer Howard's back in 2020
Howard was selected 45th overall in the 2017 MLB draft and became the Phillies top pitching prospect when he debuted during the shortened 2020 MLB season. At the time, the Phillies were still trying to rebuild their farm system, and the arrival of Howard provided some hope for the future success of the organization.
Howard turned out to be a disaster from the beginning. In 17 games for the Phillies, Howard pitched to a 5.81 ERA and a 1.557 WHIP in 52 2/3 innings. He proved completely unable to retain velocity andcouldn't go deep into games. Any semblance of a "future ace of the franchise" ceiling disintegrated before his second major league season. Howard has since continued his career while pitching in Japan.
Howard was then traded to the Texas Rangers at the 2021 trade deadline after another horrendous start to his season. The downfall was so bad and so fast that even the thought of another top pitching prospect was sickening. That all changed with Painter on Tuesday.
Painter will not throw zeroes every outing, but his start was the ultimate palate cleanser for an organization that prides itself on its veteran presence. He held his own and looked like he belonged on that diamond, something Howard often lacked when he toed the rubber.