The Philadelphia Phillies are expected to receive contributions from some of their top prospects this season. One of those young players is Andrew Painter. The starting pitcher has an opportunity to make an impact at the start of the Phillies regular season. Star first baseman Bryce Harper recently spoke about how the organization would benefit from the rookie pitching effectively.
Painter, the team's top-ranked pitching prospect, has a bright future. Long-term, the Phillies envision him as potentially the top pitcher in their rotation for several years. However, in the short term, the Pompano Beach, Florida, native will look to contribute regularly and adjust to pitching in the majors this season.
Bryce Harper says Phillies 'need' Andrew Painter throughout 2026
Upon his arrival in camp, Harper spoke about Painter's importance to the rotation in 2026, according to On Pattison's Tim Kelly.
"… Obviously, Painter … had a tough year in Triple-A coming back from Tommy John [surgery]," Harper said, per Kelly. "That first year coming back from Tommy John is really tough. So I'm hoping he bounces back this year. We need him to. We have no idea what Wheels [Zack Wheeler] is going to look like, we have no idea what Wheels is gonna be like. We all hope that obviously Wheels comes back and is Zack Wheeler, because there's nobody better in baseball when he's going good. But we have no idea.
"When you lose a guy like Ranger [Suárez], that's a really tough thing. You're expected to fill the shoes of two guys that are really, really good. So, I hope he can do it, and we definitely need him to do it. We have the confidence in his ability to do it, and hope he has the confidence in himself to get out there every day and do his job."
Via SportsRadio 94 WIP’s Devan Kaney’s X post (formerly Twitter), Painter responded to how he handles the high expectations for him in the 2026 season:
"I know my capabilities and what I can do out there, so I gotta control what I can control and let the rest take care of itself," Painter said.
“I know my capabilities and what I can do out there so I gotta control what I can control and let the rest take care of itself.” - Andrew Painter on high expectations for him this season.
— Devan Kaney (@Devan_Kaney) February 17, 2026
Caught up with Painter after practice with @JasonFox29. pic.twitter.com/fi7JaVXxUx
In his first full season in the minors since 2022, the right-hander totaled a 5-8 record, a 5.26 ERA, a 1.49 WHIP, 123 strikeouts, and 47 walks in 26 starts with the Clearwater Threshers in Single-A and Lehigh Valley IronPigs in Triple-A.
It's not too surprising he had an up-and-down year in his first season since Tommy John surgery. However, one issue that caused his inconsistent year that he has worked on in the offseason is his arm slot on his fastball (subscription required).
In Kaney’s post, Painter talked about what his mindset is, pitching for a team that has come up short of winning a World Series in the previous four postseasons, and if he feels any pressure in needing to take his production to the next level to help the Phillies win a championship:
"No, I feel that's where you get into trouble, I think, is trying to do too much," Painter said. "I know what I can do, and I think everything goes a little better when I'm not trying to do too much; I think that's when stuff gets out of sync. [I] can only control those things that I can control, take it day by day, and don't get too ahead of [myself]."
With Wheeler unavailable for Opening Day, Painter is on track to be the fifth starter in the Phillies' rotation at the beginning of the regular season. The club and the 22-year-old are hoping he can remain with the franchise for the majority, if not all, of this year, rather than shuffle between the majors and minors in his rookie season, and most importantly, remain healthy.