Overview

• The 22-year-old right-hander made 26 starts and threw 118 innings across two levels in his first season back from Tommy John surgery.
• He finished with a 5.40 ERA in Triple A and 5.26 overall, walking 9.7% of hitters despite averaging 96.6 mph and touching 100 mph with his four-seam fastball.
• Philadelphia had mapped a midseason debut, but strong work from Cristopher Sánchez, Ranger Suárez and Jesús Luzardo lessened any need for a promotion.
• Painter and evaluators identified fastball command as the main issue, with early blisters limiting his changeup use and slider adjustments in progress, while his curveball played well.
• President of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski reaffirmed that Painter projects as a premium starter, with command and pitch usage set as offseason focal points.