Aaron Nola looking to continue sophomore surge for Phillies
No one expects the Philadelphia Phillies to be contenders in 2016. But that doesn’t mean they’ll be unwatchable. At the very least, one out of every five Phillies games should be fun. Those are the games in which Aaron Nola takes the mound.
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The 22-year-old sophomore starter will be a key player for the club this season. He’s one of the few players on the team who should be a key member of the next winner in Philadelphia.
Nola’s always had a strong pedigree. He was drafted in the first round of the 2014 draft, and moved quickly through the minors. Nola put up encouraging numbers during his rookie season, posting a 3.59 ERA with solid peripherals.
Despite that, questions remain over whether Nola will settle in as a true ace or a No. 2 starter. Either would be a strong outcome for the Phillies, but the latter would be preferred.
He certainly looked like an ace during his first start of the season against the Cincinnati Reds. Nola went seven strong innings in his season debut, giving up one run on four hits with eight strikeouts. He was in line to pick up a win as well before the bullpen blew his lead late.
Nola’s fastball typically averages about 91 mph, but he has a strong command of the pitch. Against the Reds, he relied on his sweeping curve ball to pick up four of his eight strikeouts during the start. Nola only threw 13 changeups against the Reds, and while he didn’t utilize it as a strike out pitch, he managed to get whiffs with it. The development of his changeup could be a key to his growth this year.
The changeup probably won’t be a major point of focus against the San Diego Padres in Yahoo Sports’ Free MLB Game of the Day on Monday. A stream of the contest will be available at yahoo.sports.com/videos. The Padres only feature two left-handed starters in their lineup, and Nola doesn’t use the pitch nearly as much against righties. His normal two-pitch mix should be enough to keep the Padres bats at bay.
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While that seemed like an easy task during the first few games of the season, San Diego’s bats have woken up since their opening series against the Los Angeles Dodgers. In three games against the Colorado Rockies, the team exploded for 32 runs. Was that the Coors Field effect, or have the Padres bats come alive?
The current Phillies might be depressing, but the future is encouraging. Nola, and his development, is a major part of that. If he can take a step forward, the Phillies will have found their next ace. A pitcher who, when the team finally gets there, is capable of starting Game 1 of a playoff series.
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Chris Cwik is a writer for Big League Stew on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at [email protected] or follow him on Twitter! Follow @Chris_Cwik
