Philadelphia Phillies pitcher Aaron Nola is turning back the clock.
Back at the MLB trade deadline, starting rotation depth was a major issue for the Philadelphia Phillies. Everyone knew they had Cristopher Sanchez, Zack Wheeler and Jesus Luzardo at the top. But what the Phillies had behind that trio was more than questionable.
A big reason for those concerns was Aaron Nola, who posted a miserable 6.01 ERA last season and owned a 6.04 through June 29 this year.
Philadelphia opted not to acquire a starter before the deadline, instead sticking with Nola and bringing Andrew Painter back up to the majors.
Naturally, Phillies fans weren't happy. How could Philadelphia possibly make the playoffs with such a horrid back end of the rotation?
But somehow, some way, things have turned around.
Painter has been very solid since returning from the minor leagues, and while Nola is far from his prior All-Star form that landed him a $172 million extension in Philly, he has actually been respectable for the better part of two months.
Philadelphia Phillies pitcher Aaron Nola. Credit: Bill Streicher-Imagn Images.After tossing seven innings of one-run ball in a win over the Miami Marlins on Wednesday night, Nola now lays claim to a 2.74 ERA through four August starts. Last month, he pitched to the tune of a 4.34 ERA, which is certainly passable.
Yes, Nola still has a 5.12 ERA on the season as a whole, but his recent resurgence has been a major lift for Phillies squad that desperately needed a boost.
Does this mean the 33-year-old's seven-year contract is suddenly forgivable? Of course not. It's still a horrendous deal, and it runs all the way through 2030
But there is no question that Nola's revitalization has changed the game for Philadelphia and has actually given Don Mattingly a suddenly dependable arm every fifth day.
Is Nola's run sustainable? We'll see. He's striking hitters out at a tremendous rate over his last several outings, which is obviously encouraging. But we also can't completely wash the taste out of the last year-and-a-half out of our mouths.
Still, the fact that Nola has managed to bounce back after looking entirely cooked is impressive, and borderline stunning.
Nola is making everyone eat their words, and his rise is making the Phillies that much more dangerous for the stretch run.
