Aaron Nola has appeared to turn things around for the Philadelphia Phillies after a difficult start to the 2026 season with a string of strong performances.
Since the beginning of the 2025 season, Nola has struggled with injuries and uneven performances, making the past two years difficult. But in his previous two outings, the right-hander has done considerably better for the team, giving up only four runs in 11 innings.
The 33-year-old’s command has been outstanding lately, despite the fact that he still gives up the long ball frequently. For the fourth time in his major league career, he has now made three straight starts without giving up a walk. Over that time, his ERA has decreased from a season high of 6.04 to 5.55, which may indicate that he has found his rhythm going into the summer.
It seems that he has been changing up his pitches, which may have contributed significantly to his comeback. Nola has reduced his usage on the field after initially having trouble with his fastball, depending more on his repertoire of sinkers and knuckle curves.
Nola has played with the Phillies for the past 12 seasons, and he was a key player during the team’s rebuilding phase. He was one of the best pitchers in baseball during his first six seasons in Philadelphia, finishing with a 58-40 record, a 3.47 ERA, and 922 strikeouts in 139 starts. However, Nola’s record since 2021 has only been 54-53, with a 4.27 ERA and 1,018 strikeouts in 158 games. In the last two years, he has allowed 101 runs in 156 innings at a 5.83 ERA.
The Phillies rotation, which has been outstanding thus far this season, would greatly benefit if Nola can continue to settle in. In a number of statistics, including ERA (3.09), WHIP (1.09), innings pitched (195.1), and BB/9 (2.07) as of Wednesday, the Phillies starting pitching unit is among the top five in all of baseball since Zack Wheeler returned in late April.
The pitching must continue to perform at a high level given the team’s recent lack of output at the plate. If the Phillies hope to go far in the playoffs, Nola will have to play a significant role in that.
