Andrew Painter Revamps Arsenal with Dominant New Changeup for Phillies

After a midseason demotion due to a 7.06 ERA, Philadelphia Phillies right-hander Andrew Painter turned his rookie season around by replacing his splitter with a firm circle changeup. Painter returned July 31 to post a 3.65 ERA over his final 11 starts. Opponents hit just .153 with a 35% whiff rate against his new 90.5 mph changeup, which topped 92.6 mph in the postseason. The tweak also revitalized his four-seam fastball, increasing its induced vertical break to 17.5 inches and boosting its Stuff+ score to 103.