Phillies Continue to See Encouraging Signs From Young Pitcher

May 12, 2026; Boston, Massachusetts, USA; Philadelphia Phillies interim manager Don Mattingly (8) exits the mound during the game against the Boston Red Sox in the eighth inning at Fenway Park. David Butler II-Imagn Images

Phillies Continue to See Encouraging Signs From Young Pitcher

Originally posted on Philadelphia Phillies on SI
By Nick Ziegler | Last updated May 19, 2026 9:59 AM ET

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Coming off another strong week in which the Philadelphia Phillies were able to get over the .500 mark, they were back at home on Monday night to start their series with the Cincinnati Reds.

Following their (9-19) start to the season, there have been few teams in baseball that have been as good as the Phillies of late. With a (25-23) record, Philadelphia is now soaring up the standings and are seven games behind the Atlanta Braves in the National League East.

While there is still work to do, the Phillies are heading in the right direction. A major reason for the success of the team of late has been the starting rotation. Getting Zack Wheeler back and healthy has been a game-changer for the group, with the team not losing a game that he has started.

The combination of him and Cristopher Sanchez is one of the best duos in the league, and it is no surprise that they have found their groove since Wheeler came back. While those two are two of the best pitchers in the league, there are some other talented arms in the rotation for the Phillies as well.

One of the arms they are relying on and have high hopes for is their young right-hander, Andrew Painter. As a former top prospect for the team, he is expected to be a big part of the franchise going forward, but has had some struggles in his rookie season. However, with another good start on Monday, he might be starting to build some momentum.

Painter Building Confidence

Last week, Philadelphia took out the young right-hander from his start early despite pitching well. Against the Boston Red Sox, Painter was seemingly cruising, allowing just one run in five innings of work. However, Don Mattingly pulled him from the game despite the pitch count being low and wanted him to take a positive from the start.

Building confidence in a young pitcher is important, and the team liked what they saw from Painter in that game. With control being a bit of an issue in some previous starts, he didn't allow a walk in that game, and it was a very encouraging sign.

On Monday, while he didn’t factor into the decision, he was able to record a quality start, going six innings, allowing just two runs on three hits and two walks. He once again was under 70 pitches thrown in the game, but he threw a lot of strikes, and Philadelphia won the game.

With it being the first time that he was able to pitch six innings, the Phillies should be encouraged by what he has been able to accomplish in the last two starts. Hopefully, this will be a sign of things to come going forward.

This article first appeared on Philadelphia Phillies on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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