The Philadelphia Phillies will enter the 2023 MLB season with a National League Pennant under their belts and plenty of new options to work into their lineup, starting rotation, and bullpen.

The addition of Taijuan Walker and the emergence of Andrew Painter paired with Bailey Falter should set the Phillies up with plenty of starting rotation options ahead of Opening Day.

The Phillies should open 2023 with a 6-Man Rotation

1. Aaron Nola
2. Zack Wheeler
3. Ranger Suarez
4. Taijuan Walker
5. Andrew Painter
6. Bailey Falter / Cristopher Sanchez

The general consensus with 6-man rotations is negative due to your top starters getting fewer opportunities to be on the mound. While that’s a fair argument to make, the Phillies have the arms to pull it off while giving their two workhorses, Aaron Nola and Zack Wheeler well deserved rest to start the season.

Taijuan Walker brings flashiness and the ability to throw a healthy amount of innings each season to the #4 spot in the Phillies’ rotation. Taijuan Walker is one of 26 pitchers in the league that has thrown 150+ innings in both of the last two seasons. His 2022 season was a major improvement from 2021, lowering his ERA an entire point.

Walker logged 157.1 innings in 2022, tallying a 3.49 ERA in 29 total starts for the New York Mets. He struck out 132 batters while logging an ERA+ of 111, with a 3.65 FIP and a 1.195 WHIP. He struck out 7.6 batters every nine innings while allowing under one home run a game. Walker allowed just one home run every other start in 2022.

Historically, Walker’s stats have always been better in the first half of the season. Most pitchers tend to have better first-half splits, strictly due to their arm being in prime form from May-July. We saw Aaron Nola and Zack Wheeler’s arms start to sputter toward the back end of the NLCS and the World Series in 2022. Utilizing a 6-man rotation at the beginning of 2023 would not only benefit the veterans, but it would give the young guys an easy but impactful start.

The Fascinating Development of Andrew Painter

Andrew Painter is the best prospect the Phillies organization has ever seen. From a team that’s been the laughing point of failed prospects over the years, the Phillies struck gold with their three premium arms in the minor leagues.

Mick Abel, Griff McGarry, and Andrew Painter all have very promising futures with the Phillies organization.

Painter, just 19 years old, went absolutely ballistic in his first full year of minor league action, tallying a 1.48 ERA in 26 starts between three leagues. Painter started his season off in Single-A with Clearwater and threw a 1.40 ERA in 9 starts before being moved to High-A. He threw a 0.98 ERA in 8 starts with Jersey Shore, tallying 49 strikeouts, good for a K/9 of 12.0.

Andrew Painter was elevated to Double-A Reading along with Mick Abel back on August 14th and threw five more starts for the Fightin Phils, allowing just 8 earned runs in 28.1 innings. Along with slugging lefty Darick Hall, Painter was honored with the Paul Owens Award on Thursday at the Phillies game. Painter also took home Baseball America’s Pitcher of the Year Award, along with MiLB’s POTY award.

Painter has already seen some live action so far this spring, facing off against Brandon Marsh, Kyle Schwarber, and more in his first live bullpen of Spring Training. Veterans on the team have praised Painter from the jump for not just his ability to throw the baseball but his attitude and mindset on the mound as a 19-year-old.

Andrew Painter has never thrown in Triple-A…does that really matter? He’s dominated Single-A, and he’s dominated Double-A. If Painter’s arm is ready to throw in general, why wouldn’t the Phillies have him do it in the Majors? The general consensus with Painter’s status for the major league roster is his readiness to throw at the major league level, but there’s only one way to learn. Throw Bailey Falter in the 6th spot, have Andrew Painter throw every 6 games, and give him breaks throughout the season if needed. You have the arms to be able to do that.

Bailey Falter should round out the Phillies’ 6-man rotation

Losing Zach Eflin was a big blow to the Phillies’ rotation in 2022, but the left-handed slinger Bailey Falter stepped up over the final months of the season in Eflin’s absence and made his presence known.

Falter posted a 3.86 ERA in 2022 with 16 starts (20 appearances). He logged 84 total innings, allowing 85 hits and 36 earned runs. Falter tallied an ERA+ of 106, along with a 1.214 WHIP and 7.9 SO/9. He tossed a 2.45 ERA in three August starts, along with a 3.51 in five September starts. The addition of Falter not only provided insurance once Eflin hit the IL but provided another left-handed arm toward the back end of the rotation.

Four righties and two lefties. Sanchez will be with the team as a long-reliever, along with guys like Connor Brogdon, Nick Nelson, and Andrew Bellatti. The Phillies have options. Going back to the World Series is always a challenge, but the starting pitching being healthy is your only way to get there.

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