The Philadelphia Phillies have several players on their roster appearing in the World Baseball Classic (WBC). The organization also has many prospects aiming to work on their performances during spring training. A couple of their top young players are expected to make the Opening Day roster.
Philadelphia has several notable players playing in the WBC, including Bryce Harper (USA), José Alvarado (Venezuela), Kyle Schwarber (USA), Edmundo Sosa (Panama), and Brad Keller (USA), among others. Before the start of the regular season, which prospect could take the most advantage of the exposure back at camp due to the players participating in the WBC?
Phillies prospect Andrew Painter will benefit most from spring training exposure due to World Baseball Classic
Phillies starting pitchers Cristopher Sánchez (Dominican Republic), Aaron Nola (Italy), and Taijuan Walker (Mexico) are all participating in the WBC, with Jesús Luzardo listed as a reserve for Venezuela. Zack Wheeler is still working his way back from surgery for venous thoracic outlet syndrome in spring training. That leaves the spotlight on Andrew Painter as potentially the only Philadelphia starter on the Opening Day roster back at camp. He can get his feet wet and get a feel for having a bigger role on the team's pitching staff during the duration of the WBC.
Painter made his first start of the 2026 Grapefruit League season on March 1 against the New York Yankees. The young phenom started the contest and pitched two innings. He totaled one strikeout and didn't surrender any earned runs, hits, or walks. His next scheduled start is on March 7 versus the Toronto Blue Jays. He may get a couple more starts in spring training before the Phillies' Opening Day contest on March 26.
While there's no guarantee that any success he has in the Grapefruit League will translate into a solid start to the regular season, Painter is aiming to improve on his inconsistent 2025 season, his first after missing the previous two years recovering from Tommy John surgery.
One key to more success this year is for Painter to have better command of his fastball, which the right-hander worked on during the offseason (subscription required). Per MLB.com's Todd Zolecki, the Pompano Beach, Florida, native's "fastball touched 97.8 mph and averaged 96.8 mph."
Zolecki wrote that Painter didn't command his fastball quite as well last year because his arm slot had dropped, affecting his ability to throw strikes. The righty has fixed the issue that hindered his ability to pitch to his capabilities.
Phillies catcher J.T. Realmuto said he loved how Painter threw his fastball against the Yankees, how the 22-year-old mixed his pitches, how his command was, and his poise, per Zolecki. While the spotlight is already heavily on the Phillies' second-ranked prospect, Painter's performance will be even more of a focus in the coming weeks due to a few starters pitching in the WBC and Wheeler's unavailability.
Painter is expected to make the Phillies' Opening Day roster and will benefit from further exposure due to the WBC during his remaining Grapefruit League appearances. He's expected to have some ups and downs in his rookie season, but he appears capable of taking advantage of having the spotlight on him more during the duration of the WBC.