Sunday afternoon showcased why the Philadelphia Phillies signed Aaron Nola to a seven-year, $172 million deal.
Despite not having his best stuff in an 11-5 win over the Washington Nationals, Nola demonstrated his value by limiting the Nationals to two hits and three runs (only two earned) over seven innings. While he allowed two home runs and walked third baseman Nick Senzel three times, his ability to provide length on a challenging day underscored his importance to the team.
Nola improved to 6-2 with a 3.05 ERA, having logged 65 innings this season—the most among National League pitchers and second only to Seth Lugo of the Kansas City Royals for most innings pitched by a starter.
On most teams, Nola would be an All-Star candidate. However, with the Phillies, he’s the third-best starter behind Ranger Suárez and Zack Wheeler. Nola enjoys the friendly competition and camaraderie within what he considers the best rotation he’s ever been a part of.
“Yeah, I mean, this is the best rotation that I’ve ever been a part of,” Nola said after Sunday’s win. “It’s pretty awesome. I love watching each guy go out there and compete. That’s the biggest thing they do — that we all do. Not just because they’re really good, but the pitchability of every single guy is so fun to watch. All in all, they can go out and compete, and they wanna throw deep into games every single time. And I’ve really enjoyed being a part of something like this.”
The Phillies’ rotation, featuring Wheeler, Nola, and Suárez, has been a cornerstone of their deep playoff runs in the past two seasons and looks even more dominant in 2024:
– **Zack Wheeler**: 5-3, 2.52 ERA, 2.75 FIP, 1.8 WAR, 60 2/3 innings pitched
– **Aaron Nola**: 6-2, 3.05 ERA, 3.93 FIP, 1.0 WAR, 65 innings pitched
– **Ranger Suárez**: 8-0, 1.37 ERA, 2.72 FIP, 1.8 WAR, 59 innings pitched
The Phillies’ rotation depth doesn’t stop there. Cristopher Sánchez, despite some fielding issues, boasts a 3.31 ERA and has consistently provided length, including seven innings in a recent win over the Nationals. Taijuan Walker, who is on track to start Wednesday, pitched 172 2/3 innings last year and remains a reliable innings-eater.
Spencer Turnbull, currently pitching out of the bullpen, has an impressive 1.67 ERA over 32 1/3 innings.
After consecutive playoff runs, the Phillies’ starting staff understands the importance of conserving the bullpen for the postseason, a strategy Nola emphasized.
“Being in the postseason the past couple of years, we know how important the bullpen is. Obviously, our bullpen is important right now, but we need those guys fresh late in the season, and it’s a long season. We saw how they were used the past couple of years. So we need those guys fresh and throwing hard like they do. We’ve got a lot of good arms down there. So the more that the starting pitchers can keep those guys fresh, the more we can rack up innings, the better, I believe.”
This approach has been successful, contributing to the Phillies’ impressive 34-14 record, already 20 games above .500.
