| Aaron Nola | |
|---|---|
_(cropped).jpg) Nola with thePhiladelphia Phillies in 2020 | |
| Philadelphia Phillies – No. 27 | |
| Pitcher | |
| Born: (1993-06-04)June 4, 1993 (age 31) Baton Rouge, Louisiana, U.S. | |
Bats: Right Throws: Right | |
| MLB debut | |
| July 21, 2015, for the Philadelphia Phillies | |
| MLB statistics (through 2024 season) | |
| Win–loss record | 104–79 |
| Earned run average | 3.70 |
| Strikeouts | 1,779 |
Stats atBaseball Reference  | |
| Teams | |
| |
| Career highlights and awards | |
MLB records
| |
Aaron Michael Nola[1] (born June 4, 1993) is an American professionalbaseballpitcher for thePhiladelphia Phillies ofMajor League Baseball (MLB).
Nola was born inBaton Rouge, Louisiana, and played baseball alongside his older brotherAustin. His father A. J. served as Nola'sLittle League coach until high school. After struggling his freshman season due tostress fractures in his back, Nola spent three years playing varsity baseball forCatholic High School in Baton Rouge, including two state playoff appearances. At the end of his senior year in 2011, the Louisiana Sports Writers Association named Nola the state's "Mr. Baseball".
Drafted by theToronto Blue Jays in 2011, he instead attendedLouisiana State University (LSU). In his three seasons as a weekend starter with theLSU Tigers, Nola was twice named theSEC Pitcher of the Year and won theNational Pitcher of the Year Award in 2014. He also playedcollegiate summer baseball with theHarwich Mariners of theCape Cod Baseball League.
The Phillies selected Nola seventh overall in the2014 MLB Draft, and he signed with the team that June. He advanced through the Phillies'farm system throughout the 2014 and 2015 seasons, becoming the first Phillies pitcher to make his major league debut the season after his draft sincePat Combs in 1989. Although Nola performed well in his first full season with the Phillies in 2016, he was shut down early due to an elbow injury. He returned in 2017 to beatCurt Schilling's 1996 record for most strikeouts by a Phillies pitcher with fewer than 30 starts in one season. The following year, he became the fourth pitcher in franchise history to record at least 200 strikeouts in a single season. Nola started six straightOpening Day games for the Phillies from 2018 until 2023 and is considered anace.
Nola was born on June 4, 1993,[2] inBaton Rouge, Louisiana, the son of A.J. and Stacie Nola.[3] His maternal grandfather, Richard Barrios, served assergeant at arms for theLouisiana House of Representatives.[3] Although Nola started playing baseball at the age of nine, his passion for the sport only began when he watched his older brotherAustin Nola play in tournaments.[4] As a child, Nola used to mimic a pitching motion while watching himself in the mirror, a gesture that his father described as "strange gyrations".[5]
Nola's father served as hisLittle League Baseball coach until high school, when he began playing forCatholic High School in Baton Rouge.Stress fractures in his back, which doctors attributed to a six-inch summergrowth spurt, hampered Nola's freshman season.[4] Nola spent three seasons on thevarsity team, including two state playoff appearances.[5] He missed one month of his junior season with ahernia but returned in the playoffs to pitch Catholic to the state finals.[5] In his senior year, the Louisiana Sports Writers Association named Nola "Mr. Baseball", given to the top player in the state.[6] Across his varsity baseball career, Nola posted a 21–2win–loss record and 214strikeouts in 152innings pitched.[6]
Both Aaron and Austin Nola were selected by theToronto Blue Jays ofMajor League Baseball (MLB) in the2011 MLB Draft. Aaron elected not to sign with the Blue Jays and instead attendedLouisiana State University (LSU), where his brother was a senior.[4] Nola majored in Sports Management at LSU,[7] and was roommates withAlex Bregman.[8] After throwing 78 pitches in a 5–0shutout game againstTulane,[5] Nola gave up five runs in the first inning in hisSoutheastern Conference (SEC) debut againstMississippi State.[4] He quickly rebounded, and posted five shutout innings, a recovery that struck LSU pitching coachAlan Dunn, who said that the turnaround "gave us a glimpse of how good Aaron could be".[5] Head coachPaul Mainieri "made a commitment that day that [Nola] was going to be a starter on the weekend",[4] a position that would have him pitch largely in conference games.[9]
Nola finished his freshman season in 2012 with a 7–4 record and a 3.61 earned run average (ERA) in89+2⁄3 innings, as well as with seven walks and 89 strikeouts.[5] In the postseason, he was the starting pitcher in the first game of the best-of-three2012 Baton Rouge Super Regional. It would be the only game that LSU would win against theStony Brook Seawolves in that tournament.[10] That summer, he playedcollegiate summer baseball with theHarwich Mariners of theCape Cod Baseball League,[11] with whom he recorded a 2–0 record and 0.82 ERA in 11 innings.[12][13]
Nola impressed in his second season with LSU. On April 19, he threw his first career shutoutcomplete game againstAlabama, becoming the first LSU pitcher to shut out an SEC team sinceKevin Gausman in 2011.[14] On May 3 againstFlorida, Nola became the first LSU pitcher to record four consecutive complete-game victories sinceMike Sirotka in 1993, and the first two record two shutouts in one season sinceGreg Smith in 2005.[15] That year, Nola went 12–1 with a 1.57 ERA in 126 innings pitched.[12] He also recorded a 0.82walks plus hits per inning pitched (WHIP) measure.[12] He was also named to theNational Collegiate Baseball Writers Association (NCBWA),Baseball America, andCollegiate BaseballAll-American teams, and was named theSEC Pitcher of the Year.[16][17] Nola was a finalist for theNational Pitcher of the Year Award,[18] and was the recipient of the 2012–13 Corbett Award, given to the best amateur athlete in the state of Louisiana.[19]
Prior to the 2014 season, Nola and Bregman were named first-team preseason All-Americans by the NCBWA.[18] That year, he pitched to an 11–1 record with a 1.47 ERA, 27 walks, 134 strikeouts, and a .172opponent batting average in116+1⁄3 innings.[12] He once again won the SEC Player of the Year Award,[20] and was the recipient of the 2014 National Pitcher of the Year award.[21] He was also a finalist for theGolden Spikes Award, given to the best amateur baseball player in the US,[22] and theDick Howser Trophy, awarded to the best national college baseball player of the year.[23] Across his three-year career at LSU, Nola posted a 30–6 record and 2.09 ERA in 332 innings, with 42 walks and 345 strikeouts. He ranks third in LSU history for strikeouts, fourth for ERA, and fifth for pitching wins.[21]
ThePhiladelphia Phillies selected Nola in the first round, seventh overall, of the2014 MLB Draft.[24] He signed with the team for a $3.3 millionsigning bonus on June 10, 2014, and was assigned to the Phillies'Class A-Advanced minor league affiliate, theClearwater Threshers.[25] In his first five starts with the Threshers, Nola posted a 3.80 ERA and 18 strikeouts in21+1⁄3 innings pitched.[26] That season with Clearwater, he posted a 2–3 record, with a 3.16 ERA and 30 strikeouts in31+1⁄3 innings pitched.[12] He was then promoted to theDouble-AReading Phillies, making his debut on August 6, 2014, against theHarrisburg Senators.[27] He threw 72 pitches, including 47 strikes, in five innings for the Phillies, who won 9–2.[28] Nola closed out the season in Reading with a 2–0 record and 2.63 ERA in 24 innings pitched.[12]
Nola began the 2015 season with Reading, going 7–3 in 12 starts with a 1.88 ERA and 0.89 WHIP.[29] He was promoted to theTriple-ALehigh Valley IronPigs on June 14, 2015.[30] In his debut on June 18, Nola threw five shutout innings in a 3–0 win over theBuffalo Bisons.[31] Nola went 3–1 with a 3.58 ERA and 1.44 WHIP in six starts with the IronPigs. He was selected for the 2015 MLB All-Star Futures Game but did not pitch.[29] His last game before being called up to the majors was also his worst professional start, giving up six runs in three innings to theRochester Red Wings.[32]
Nola made his major league debut on July 21, 2015, the first Phillies pitcher to debut the season after he was drafted sincePat Combs in 1989.[33] He wore No. 27 for the Phillies, as his college jersey number 10 was used by coachLarry Bowa.[32] He threw his first major league strikeout toSteven Souza Jr. in the first inning of the 1–0 loss against theTampa Bay Rays.[34] That one run was a solo home run, and the first career hit, from opposing pitcherNathan Karns.[8] He notched his first win less than a week later, pitching7+2⁄3 innings and earning arun batted in (RBI) in the Phillies' July 25, 11–5 rout of theChicago Cubs.[35] Nola finished the season with a 6–2 record and 3.59 ERA in 13 starts and77+2⁄3 innings pitched.[36] The Phillies shut Nola down on September 27, following a decision made that July to end his season after pitching approximately 185 innings between the majors and minors.[37][38]
On April 2, 2016, Nola was named to the Phillies' 2016Opening Day roster.[39] Although he managed a 5–4 record and 2.65 ERA in his first 12 starts,[40] he soon struggled, posting a 9.82 ERA in eight starts between June 11 and July 28, and took a two-week break in July to focus on his physical and mental health.[41] On August 3, the Phillies announced that Nola would go on the 15-daydisabled list with a right elbow strain.[40] Two weeks later, general managerMatt Klentak announced that Nola had been diagnosed with "low-grade" sprains and strains in his elbow, and that he would not pitch again for the remainder of the season.[41] He pitched 111 innings that season in 20 starts and posted a 6–9 record and 4.78 ERA.[36]
Going into 2017spring training, Nola declared himself "100 percent",[42] and he was named to the 25-man roster on April 2.[43] He made a strong return to the mound, allowing two runs or fewer in 18 of his 27-season starts.[44] Recording 184 strikeouts in 27 starts, Nola beatCurt Schilling's 1996 record for most strikeouts by a Phillies pitcher with fewer than 30 starts in one season.[45] In April, he was briefly placed on the disabled list with a lower back strain.[46] He finished the season with a 12–11 record, 3.54 ERA, and 184 strikeouts in 27 starts and 168 innings.[36]
Nola was chosen as the Phillies'Opening Day starting pitcher in 2018. ManagerGabe Kapler's decision to remove Nola from the mound after only 68 pitches was subject to controversy, as therelief pitchers during that game gave up eight runs to theAtlanta Braves.[47][48] On May 8, 2018, Nola struck out a career-high 12 batters in seven innings against theSan Francisco Giants.[49] He was named to the2018 National League All Star team after posting an 11–2 record and 2.41 ERA in his first 18 starts of the season.[50] Nola finished the season with a 17–6 record and 2.37 ERA in 33 starts and212+1⁄3 innings.[36] He was the second Phillie, afterGrover Cleveland Alexander, to strike out over 200 batters and hold his opponents to abatting average of .200 or lower in a single season, and held the fourth-highest single-season strikeout record in Phillies history, behind Alexander, Schilling, andJim Bunning.[51] Nola came in third in voting for the 2018 National LeagueCy Young Award, behindJacob deGrom of theNew York Mets andMax Scherzer of theWashington Nationals.[52]
_(cropped).jpg)
During the offseason, on February 13, 2019, Nola signed a four-year, $45 million contract extension with the Phillies, including a $2 million signing bonus.[53] He was once again named the Opening Day starter, throwing six innings in the team's 10–4 win over the Braves.[54] He posted a 12–7 record for the season, pitching to a 3.87 ERA and 229 strikeouts in 34 starts and202+1⁄3 innings.[36]
Nola arrived late to the Phillies' 2020 spring training after quarantining due to exposure toCOVID-19.[55] He made his third consecutive Opening Day start in 2020,[56] starting in a 5–2 loss against theMiami Marlins.[57] He pitched his first two complete games with the Phillies in 2020, both of which were only seven innings due to a rule that shorteneddoubleheaders.[58] His August 26 start against the Nationals on Matt Breen served asJoe Girardi's 1000th managerial win.[59] In the pandemic-shortened 2020 season, he posted a 5–5 record and 3.28 ERA in 12 starts and71+1⁄3 innings.[36] Nola's 5–0 loss to the Rays at the end of the regular season eliminated the Phillies fromwild card contention in the postseason.[60]
Nola was selected to pitch Opening Day for the fourth year in a row in 2021, the longest streak by a Phillies pitcher sinceSteve Carlton opened ten seasons in a row between 1977 and 1986.[61] On April 18, 2021, Nola threw his first complete game shutout in the MLB, beating theSt. Louis Cardinals 2–0.[62] Less than two months later, on June 1, Nola recorded his 1,000th career strikeout. He was the fastest Phillies pitcher to reach that number, doing so in 913 innings, and joinedCole Hamels and Steve Carlton as the only Phillies pitchers to record 1,000 or more strikeouts before the age of 28.[63] On June 25, Nola struck out 10 consecutive batters in a game against the Mets, tyingTom Seaver's April 22, 1970, record for most consecutive strikeouts in a game.[64]
For the 2021 season, he had the lowest LOB percentage in the majors among pitchers, at 66.8%.[65] Nola finished the 2021 season with a 9–9 record, pitching to a 4.63 ERA and 223 strikeouts in 32 starts and180+2⁄3 innings.[36]
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Due to an injury toZack Wheeler, Nola was called upon to make his fifth consecutive opening day start pitching 6 innings and getting the win over theOakland Athletics.[66] On August 13, Nola pitched a complete game but took the loss in a pitcher's duel withJacob deGrom 1–0.[67] On October 3, 2022, Nola started the Phillies' playoff-clinching win over theHouston Astros, carrying aperfect game through6+2⁄3 innings.[68]
Nola finished the 2022 season with an 11–13 record, posting a 3.25 ERA and 235 strikeouts in 32 starts and 205 innings.[36] Nola also lead the Majors instrikeout-to-walk ratio.[69] Five days after the Phillies clinched in Houston, Nola threw6+2⁄3 shutout innings against the St. Louis Cardinals in Game 2 of the2022 National League Wild Card Series as the Phillies won the series 2–0.[70] On October 14, Nola started Game 3 of the2022 National League Division Series, the first Phillies home playoff game in eleven years. He allowed one unearned run and five hits over six innings.[71] Nola started Game 2 of the2022 National League Championship Series, as well, against theSan Diego Padres. During the game, Aaron and Austin Nola became the first pair of brothers in Major League Baseball postseason history to face each other as pitcher and batter.[72][73][74]
During the2022 World Series, Nola was the starting pitcher for the Phillies in Game 1 and Game 4. Nola got a no-decision for Game 1 due to the fact though he only pitched for 5 innings and gave up 5 runs, including a pair of home runs toKyle Tucker, the Phillies tied the game and won in the 10th inning due toJ. T. Realmuto's game-winning home run. But in Game 4, Nola gave up no runs throughout 4 innings but loaded the bases in the 5th inning and was lifted, and afterward left-handed relief pitcherJose Alvarado's poor outing resulted in Astros' scoring 5 runs during the inning, and Nola ended up being the losing pitcher in Game 4, a turning point in World Series, which Phillies eventually lost in 6 games.[75]
On November 7, 2022, the Phillies exercised their end of the $16 million club option on Nola for the 2023 season.[76] He became a free agent following the season but on November 19, 2023, he signed a seven-year, $172 million contract to return to the Phillies.[77] The contract contains no opt-out provisions, and carries a lower average annual value than other comparable free agent starting pitchers to avoid surpassingMajor League Baseball's luxury tax apron.[78][79]
Early in his career, Nola was labeled the Phillies'ace, with his pitching record drawing favorable comparisons to former club standoutsCole Hamels,Cliff Lee,Roy Halladay, andRoy Oswalt.[80] In 2020, Nola and his teammateZack Wheeler tied for 11th among major league pitchers, recording 2.0Wins Above Replacement (WAR) that season.[81] Going into the 2021 season, Mike DePrisco ofNBC Sports ranked Nola sixth among all 30 Opening Day pitchers, while Will Leitch ofMLB.com placed him at number 10.[82][83] As of May 2020, Nola averaged 9.63 strikeouts per nine innings, the highest in franchise history.[84]
Nola has largely maintained the same four-pitch lineup since entering the majors in 2015, throwing afour-seam fastball, acurveball, achangeup, and asinker.[85] He began working acutter into his rotation during 2021 spring training, saying, "I've always wanted to throw one but never took it into a game."[86] In his first season in the majors, Nola's four-seam fastball ranged between 91.6 and 93.8 mph (147.4 and 151.0 km/h), while his sinker averaged 90.1 mph (145.0 km/h).[87] He increased his fastball speed to 93.3 mph (150.2 km/h) by the start of the 2018 season, but toldThe Philadelphia Inquirer that his focus is not on speed, saying, "There are different ways to get outs rather than throwing 95, 96, 97 [...] It would be nice to throw 97, but I physically can't."[88]
Nola has consistently struggled during September. Between 2018 and 2020, his pre-September statistics showed a 30–9 record and 2.79 ERA in 62 starts, while in September over the same period, he pitched 4–9 with a 4.44 ERA in 17 starts.[60] During the 2019 season, Nola went 0–3 in September, with a 6.51 ERA in five starts.[89] Former manager Joe Girardi and Nola are aware of Nola's late-season struggles, but are unsure of why they occur.[90]
Nola has not missed a start in the rotation since 2017 and is considered one of baseball's most durable pitchers in a profession increasingly plagued byTommy John surgery. As of April 2024, Nola has pitched more innings (1096.2) than any other pitcher since 2018.[91]
Nola is ofItalian descent on his father's side. His great-grandparents emigrated to Baton Rouge fromSicily.[92] His older brotherAustin has also played in Major League Baseball.[93] Their uncle suffers fromamyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). In January 2020, the Nola brothers hosted a "Strike Out ALS" charity event on his behalf.[94]
During theCOVID-19 pandemic, Nola partnered with Pennsylvania-based breweryYuengling to launch "Cheers PA," an initiative to provide aid for restaurant and bar workers impacted by shutdowns.[95] He and catcherJ. T. Realmuto also serve as the Phillies' ambassadors forGarth Brooks' "Home Plate Project," which raises money to fight childhood hunger in the US and Canada.[96] The Phillies nominated Nola for the 2020Roberto Clemente Award for his charity work.[97]
Nola is aChristian. Hiswalk-up song is "I am Second" by Christian rock bandNewsboys.[98][99]
Nola married his wife, Hunter Jayde Nola, on December 31, 2022. Their daughter, Scottie Brooks, was born on March 16, 2024.[100][101]