The Philadelphia Phillies struggled to make an impact on the Washington Nationals in the first matchup of the series at their own ballpark. For the second game, they banked on their 22-year-old top pitching prospect to make his MLB debut count. Following his strong outing that propelled the Phillies to a 3-2 victory, the franchise’s veterans offered their assessment on his debut.

Andrew Painter pitched in his first big-league game against the Nationals in a stadium packed with 40,708 viewers. A calm and collected Painter threw 5.1 innings, allowing four hits, one run, and one walk while striking out 8. Painter threw 57 strikes in total, starting with his 96.6 mph first pitch. Following the Painter show, the Phillies clubhouse shared an honest assessment of Painter and his approach to the Inquirer Sports’ Scott Lauber.

“He didn’t seem fazed by anything,” remarked the veteran slugger Kyle Schwarber to Lauber. “Even before the game, there was no pacing, no nothing. It was pretty cool.”

Schwarber himself contributed with a solo home run against the Nationals in Tuesday’s match. Not only Schwarber, but J.T. Realmuto, the Phillies catcher, too, was impressed by Painter’s cool before the match. His lack of visible nervousness impressed Realmuto.

“He seemed super calm, confident. You would have never known it was his first start,” said Realmuto.

According to Realmuto, Painter did not look like the rookie he really was. His dominant pitching display was also un-rookie-like. At least, Phillies outfielder Adolis García thinks that he looked like a ‘star’, as per the Inquirer Sports.

Painter did not make it to the Phillies’ active roster randomly. The right-hander’s debut was three years in the making and a highly anticipated one. Manager Rob Thomson admitted to the media outlet that they were waiting for Painter to be MLB-ready.

“We’ve been waiting for a while for this, and so have our players,” stated Thomson to Inquirer’s Lauber.

In 2023, at only 19 years old, the Phillies considered Painter for Spring Training and in the Opening Day starting rotation. But a ligament tear in the elbow, followed by the Tommy John surgery, completely wiped out his 2023 and 2024 seasons.

Last season, he went 5-8 in the minors, struggling with his command and fastball issues, recording a 5.26 ERA. But this Spring, Painter was ready and recovered, throwing with a 2.31 ERA.

Speaking about the teammates’ support, Thomson added, “When those young guys come up, there’s a lot of excitement. And guys root for them because they remember their first appearance or game in the big leagues.”

Facing a lineup of six lefties and two switch-hitters, Painter hurled a mix of his pitches. He relied on his established mix, which includes a four-seam fastball, slider, curveball, changeup, and sinker.

“It’s always good as a starting pitcher to be able to have something in your back pocket for the second or third time through the lineup,” admitted Realmuto about Painter’s performance.

Apart from Painter’s strong outing, the Phillies game had another rare occurrence. With the 22-year-old rookie Justin Crawford as CF, it was the first time since August 7, 2015, that the Phillies included an under-23 position player and a pitcher in the same game. Crawford scored the winning run for the Phillies in the fifth inning on an error by the Nationals’ first baseman.

Painter’s debut was everything that the Phillies and their fans wanted and more. And Painter couldn’t help but express his feelings.

A debut that exceeded Painter’s imagination

Andrew Painter’s major league debut was one of the most anticipated ones in the Phillies’ history since Cole Hamels in 2006. And fans came prepared for it.

In Citizens Bank Park, in different sections, fans showed up with paint brushes to mark the occasion. In Section 302, they called themselves “Andrew’s Painters,” while those in 218 called themselves “Painter’s Painters.”

“The crowd showed up tonight, and kind of rallied behind me. Just kind of soaked all of it in. I came in, I didn’t want to place an expectation on myself,” stated Painter to the Inquirer. “I just wanted to go out there and make sure I was convicted in every pitch that I was throwing and feel confident with everything that I was throwing.”

The soon-to-be 23-year-old received his first standing ovation when he made the long walk from the bullpen to the dugout before the match.

Painter was grateful for the support; he revealed that about 40 family and friends showed up to support him in his first game. He stated that it exceeded his expectations.

“That was awesome,” expressed Painter following the match. “I don’t think I could’ve drawn it up much better.”

Painter left the mound, tipping his cap to another ovation from the audience following his incredible start. But now his goal would be to maintain the level he just set.