Painter’s Debut – April 1st, 2026
Andrew Painter, SP, PHI
Painter was stellar in his major league debut on Thursday against the Nationals. He gave up one run on four hits and one walk while striking out eight batters in 5.1 innings. Painter averaged 96.7 MPH on his four-seamer and was extremely effective with his off-speed stuff. After the fastball, his next three most used pitches were the slider (21%), curveball (18%), and changeup (11%). On those pitches, he sported a 67%, 33%, and 33% Whiff%, respectively. Additionally, of the 12 balls hit in play, just one fell into the Hard-Hit category. Painter’s minor league stats from 2025 were less than thrilling (5.26 ERA and 1.53 HR/9), but he was coming off Tommy John, and at 22 years old and standing 6’7″, there is a lot to get excited about here.
Shea Langeliers, C, ATH
Langeliers hit his fourth home run of the season to help the As collect their first victory of the campaign on Tuesday. The four homers are tied with Chase DeLauter for the league lead. The 28-year-old continues to make strides as a hitter and is proving to be one of the best fantasy options at catcher in the league. Since the start of the 2023 season, only Cal Raleigh has more homers than Langeliers’ 84, and his 216 RBI rank 4th at the position. So far in 2026, he is slashing .350/.381/.950 with a .566 wOBA, numbers that are obviously unsustainable, especially considering his hefty 38.1% K%. Still, he continues to hit the ball hard (40.0% Hard-Hit%, 30.0% Barrel%) and is getting results.
Bubba Chandler, SP, PIT
Chandler had an interesting outing on Tuesday in Cincinnati. He walked six batters, struck out six, didn’t surrender a hit, and gave up an unearned run across 4.1 innings. A line-out double play helped Bubba get out of a jam in the 3rd, an inning in which he walked three batters and the Pirates committed a run-scoring error. He relied heavily on his fastball (74% usage) that averaged 99.1 MPH and was able to create an 80% Whiff% on the 11 changeups he threw. Overall, he threw 43 strikes and 38 balls, which is flirting with disaster. Obviously, Chandler will have to hone his control going forward.
Xavier Edwards, SS/2B, MIA
Edwards went 2 for 4 with a pair of singles and a run on Tuesday against the White Sox. The 26-year-old has hit in each of the Marlins’ first five games and has rattled off three consecutive multi-hit games. Edwards has shown himself to be a skilled contact hitter, but thus far in his career, the power has been lacking. He owns a career .074 ISO, and just one of his eight hits this season has gone for extra bases (2B). Last season, his .8% Barrel% ranked in the 1st percentile, and his 29.4% Hard-Hit% ranked in the 7th. Still, the plate discipline metrics are impressive (12.1% Whiff%, 98th percentile, and 14.2% K%, 88th percentile), which has allowed him to sustain a .300 career average across 1,027 plate appearances.
Jose Soriano, SP, LAA
Soriano hurled 6.0 shutout innings against the Cubs, giving up two hits, two walks, and fanning four. It was his second scoreless 6.0 inning outing to start the 2026 campaign. Both of the starts have come on the road, against imposing lineups (HOU, CHC). It’s been an impressive start, but Soriano will have to cut down on the walks (4.5 BB/9) to be consistent. He didn’t surrender a barrel in his first start in Houston, and the Cubs managed just an average exit velo of 83.6 MPH during his start on Tuesday. It’s Soriano’s fourth season in the majors, and he’s at a prime age of 27; it’s possible he is bringing it all together.
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