After the offseason concluded, many Philadelphia Phillies fans were uneasy about the team essentially “running it back.” With Alec Bohm staying put and J.T. Realmuto returning, there were understandable worries surrounding the club.
Those concerns appeared justified when the Phillies stumbled to a brutal 8–14 start. Still, despite the early-season struggles, the team did bring in a few new players with mixed results so far.
According to Tim Britton of The Athletic, the most impressive newcomer has been right-hander Andrew Painter. Britton points to Painter’s ability to generate strikeouts, even with a 4.42 ERA, as the key reason.
Andrew Painter named top Phillies newcomer thanks to strikeout prowess
“Best newcomer: Andrew Painter,” Britton writes. “He hasn’t pitched deep into games, but he’s kept the Phillies competitive in every start. A five-to-one strikeout-to-walk ratio is something you’ll take from anyone, let alone a 23-year-old rookie in his first MLB month.”
While the Phillies as a whole are off to a poor start, Andrew Painter’s individual MLB career has begun reasonably well.
Yes, a 4.42 ERA leaves room for improvement, and he’d ideally go deeper into games. Still, his production over the first month of the season has been solid.
Adolis García, Justin Crawford, Jonathan Bowlan, and Brad Keller have each struggled at times this year, though Crawford was likely the runner-up for Philadelphia’s best newcomer honor so far.
But Painter who has logged 18.1 innings with 20 strikeouts and just four walks in his young career—has been the team’s top new player this season.
The 2026 campaign has started terribly for the Phillies, and there’s plenty of reason to worry about their postseason chances. Still, Painter looks like a reliable starter, and fans should feel confident about him moving forward.
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