by Team Del Genio
Monday, Aug 31, 2026Last Saturday, the Los Angeles Angels were playing at home against the Philadelphia Phillies. They were expected to face the Phillies’ Andrew Painter. Some bettors may have thought it was a good underdog spot for the Angels given his 3-6 record, a 6.04 era and a 1.48 whip. The rookie right-hander was sent back down to the minor leagues after his start on June 17th against the Miami Marlins. He gave up six earned runs in only two innings in that outing. At the time, Painter had a 7.06 era and a 1.66 whip.
Yet since being sent to the minors and then recalled on July 31st, he has been a different pitcher and is beginning to consistently meet his blue-chip prospect status. In those five starts heading into the date with the Angels, he had a 3.62 era and a 1.06 whip.
Painter has made several adjustments along the way. He added depth to his sweeper by adding three more inches of drop on that pitch. He has tweaked his splitter into a true changeup. His splitter was being thrown at 87.4 miles per hour with up to 6.8 inches of drop. He was throwing his changeup at 90.9 miles per hour with only 3.9 inches of drop. This tweak is working. His strike rate with his changeup was 70.6%, which is in the top 99th percentile. He was too often trying to be cute with the placement of his splitter at the bottom of the strike zone given the dramatic drop in that pitch. Now he is throwing his changeup 23% of the time in his last five starts as a deception from his good fastball. He was getting an outstanding 38.5% putaway rate on his changeup since being recalled.
Speaking of that fastball, his 96.2 miles per hour rate ranks in the top 78th percentile. He recently tinkered with his mechanics with this pitch by lowering his arm angle about five inches, and Painter says it is the best he has felt with that pitch since returning from Tommy John surgery. He was now getting up to 18 inches of vertical movement on the pitch, and his last four-seamer pitch registered 100 miles per hour on the radar gun last Saturday in his most recent start. He pitched seven scoreless innings in that outing against St. Louis while giving up only five hits and striking out eight batters.
Even before these impressive adjustments, the right-hander has deserved better. His opponents' batting average of .313 on the batted balls against him was much higher than the MLB babip average of .287. His strand rate of 67.7% was too far below the MLB left-on-base rate of 72.4%.
Painter struggled out of the gate by giving up three runs in the first inning. Yet he settled down and did not give up a run in the next five innings before leaving the game after the sixth. He only gave up two base hits and struck out six batters.
As the final month of the regular season begins, Painter has a 3.78 era and a 1.02 whip in his previous starts since being recalled from the minor leagues. Philadelphia picked him with the thirteenth selection in the first round of the 2021 draft. His first half of the season was a major disappointment. Yet if Phillies fans had been told that he would put up a 3.78 era and a 1.02 whip in his rookie season, they would have been very happy with those numbers. After a bumpy start, he has made some effective adjustments. Andrew Painter may have finally arrived.
Good luck - TDG.
Yet since being sent to the minors and then recalled on July 31st, he has been a different pitcher and is beginning to consistently meet his blue-chip prospect status. In those five starts heading into the date with the Angels, he had a 3.62 era and a 1.06 whip.
Painter has made several adjustments along the way. He added depth to his sweeper by adding three more inches of drop on that pitch. He has tweaked his splitter into a true changeup. His splitter was being thrown at 87.4 miles per hour with up to 6.8 inches of drop. He was throwing his changeup at 90.9 miles per hour with only 3.9 inches of drop. This tweak is working. His strike rate with his changeup was 70.6%, which is in the top 99th percentile. He was too often trying to be cute with the placement of his splitter at the bottom of the strike zone given the dramatic drop in that pitch. Now he is throwing his changeup 23% of the time in his last five starts as a deception from his good fastball. He was getting an outstanding 38.5% putaway rate on his changeup since being recalled.
Speaking of that fastball, his 96.2 miles per hour rate ranks in the top 78th percentile. He recently tinkered with his mechanics with this pitch by lowering his arm angle about five inches, and Painter says it is the best he has felt with that pitch since returning from Tommy John surgery. He was now getting up to 18 inches of vertical movement on the pitch, and his last four-seamer pitch registered 100 miles per hour on the radar gun last Saturday in his most recent start. He pitched seven scoreless innings in that outing against St. Louis while giving up only five hits and striking out eight batters.
Even before these impressive adjustments, the right-hander has deserved better. His opponents' batting average of .313 on the batted balls against him was much higher than the MLB babip average of .287. His strand rate of 67.7% was too far below the MLB left-on-base rate of 72.4%.
Painter struggled out of the gate by giving up three runs in the first inning. Yet he settled down and did not give up a run in the next five innings before leaving the game after the sixth. He only gave up two base hits and struck out six batters.
As the final month of the regular season begins, Painter has a 3.78 era and a 1.02 whip in his previous starts since being recalled from the minor leagues. Philadelphia picked him with the thirteenth selection in the first round of the 2021 draft. His first half of the season was a major disappointment. Yet if Phillies fans had been told that he would put up a 3.78 era and a 1.02 whip in his rookie season, they would have been very happy with those numbers. After a bumpy start, he has made some effective adjustments. Andrew Painter may have finally arrived.
Good luck - TDG.
