Why a new changeup is key for Andrew Painter

Just how good can the Phillies rotation be in 2027?

The floor, as usual, should be high. Cristopher Sánchez, Zack Wheeler and Jesús Luzardo are bona fide aces. Veteran Aaron Nola is no longer in that camp, but he is a serviceable No. 4 starter who made 33 starts this past season. And then there is Andrew Painter, the 23-year-old whose youth -- and upside -- juxtaposes an aging roster.

Painter's up-and-down rookie season cratered in mid-June when the Phillies demoted him to Triple-A for a reset. At the time of the decision, Painter's 7.06 ERA was the second highest in baseball among all pitchers to have thrown at least 60 innings. The organization wanted to help the 6-foot-7 right-hander clean…