Out of every Philadelphia Phillies player at training camp, Aaron Nola was named as the player with the most to prove this spring.
The Philadelphia Phillies will enter another season with a strong core in place, especially at the top of the lineup and rotation.
However, some players in camp will immediately be under pressure to show the team something early to secure their spot and role on the Phillies' 2026 roster and beyond.
Out of the players that fall into this category, Todd Zolecki of MLB.com believes that Aaron Nola has the "most to prove" for Philadelphia this spring.
"Bad seasons happen. But what made Nola’s troubles concerning is that he is 32, and he has thrown more innings and more pitches than anybody in baseball since 2017," wrote Zolecki.
"Nola also is entering the third year of a seven-year, $178 million contract. They need him to bounce back, knowing Zack Wheeler is coming back from surgery, Jesús Luzardo and Taijuan Walker are free agents after the season and prospect Andrew Painter hasn’t thrown an inning yet in the big leagues."
Feb 11, 2026; Clearwater, FL, USA; Philadelphia Phillies pitcher Aaron Nola (27) runs a drill during spring training at BareCare Ballpark. Mandatory Credit: Jonathan Dyer-Imagn ImagesThere's no question that Nola is coming off one of his worst seasons in recent memory, logging a 6.01 ERA and 1.35 WHIP over 94.1 innings. His average fastball velocity continues to drop slightly, suggesting some signs of regression.
However, the team really needs a strong start to the season from their veteran pitcher, especially with other question marks in Philadelphia's rotation, such as Zack Wheeler's health and the unknown with rookie Andrew Painter.
On the bright side, there are still some advanced numbers that prove Nola can still be a quality pitcher. The veteran had a chase rate of 33.5 percent and a walk rate of 6.9 percent a year ago.
Both of these numbers are a sign that Nola still has a strong command; it may just come down to location and execution of his pitches later in counts.
Plus, Nola is only one year removed from having a 2024 season in which he had a 3.57 ERA over 199.1 innings.
With the state of Philadelphia's starting rotation and the depth of the position group, it'd be shocking if Nola wasn't in the rotation at the start of the year.
Still, hopefully, he begins to show signs of a bounce-back year, which starts in spring training.
Phillies Roundtable also offers a fan community and message board. We’d love to have you join us to talk all things Phillies. Click the “Join” button at the top of the page to join our community for free.