After a disappointing division series loss to the eventual World Series champion Los Angeles Dodgers, the Philadelphia Phillies plan to run it back another year with largely the same core. Outside of the recent decision to release Nick Castellanos, the lineup from top to bottom remains mostly unchanged. The pitching rotation, on the other hand, will look very different come opening day, and that’s where Andrew Painter enters the fray.
After eight seasons in Philadelphia, Ranger Suarez decided to take his talents to Boston, and his loss will be felt in the rotation. Last season, Suarez won 12 games for the Phillies and had a 3.20 ERA. In addition, Suarez has always saved his best for when games matter most, the postseason, where he has a career 1.48 ERA in 11 starts.
In addition to the loss of Suarez, the ace of the staff, Zach Wheeler, remains sidelined as he recovers from last September’s Thoracic Outlet Syndrome procedure. Getting him back to ace status come the postseason will be Philadelphia's number one priority this season, meaning he may be eased back and slowly ramped up as the year progresses.
The top of the rotation appears to be set with a combination of Aaron Nola, Christopher Sanchez, and Jesus Luzardo. This leaves two open spots, one of which should be filled by last season’s top organizational prospect and #16 overall prospect in baseball, Andrew Painter.
Phillies Top Prospect Andrew Painter's Time Is Now in Philadelphia
Painter’s first full season was in 2022, when the right-hander started 22 games and had a remarkable 1.56 ERA. While he was sidelined for the next two seasons as he recovered from Tommy John surgery, he retained his elite prospect status even during his inconsistent 2025 campaign, making him a player to watch this spring with so many question marks surrounding this pitching staff.
With a full season under his belt and presumably a healthy offseason, Painter looks poised to take over one of the remaining rotation spots with the big league club. If he can replicate his dominant 2022 season, it would help stabilize the rotation, alleviating the need to rush Wheeler back before he is fully healthy.
More importantly, Painter’s emergence could be the difference in the Phillies maintaining their status as one of the National League’s top teams, as they look to position themselves for another deep playoff run in October.