Inside The Phillies

Veteran Philadelphia Phillies Starter Dominates in Second Spring Outing

The Philadelphia Phillies' starting rotation projects as one of the best in MLB, and its longest-tenured member is at the top of his game after two spring starts.

Kyle Morton

Sep 23, 2024; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Philadelphia Phillies pitcher Aaron Nola (27) throws a pitch during the first inning against the Chicago Cubs at Citizens Bank Park.
Sep 23, 2024; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Philadelphia Phillies pitcher Aaron Nola (27) throws a pitch during the first inning against the Chicago Cubs at Citizens Bank Park. / Eric Hartline-Imagn Images
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As the Philadelphia Phillies gear up for another shot at that elusive World Series championship, the team figures to be powered by its starting rotation that should rank near the top of the league.

There is no doubt that the consensus around the league is that the Los Angeles Dodgers have the top group with their embarrassment of riches, but Philadelphia's stable led by ace Zack Wheeler, veteran Aaron Nola, lefties Jesus Luzardo and Ranger Suarez and Cristopher Sanchez is right behind them.

Nola made his second start of spring training on Thursday, and he turned in a phenomenal effort in a 5-4 loss to the Tampa Bay Rays.

After going two innings in his first outing, Nola upped his workload to three frames during which he two hits, a walk and no runs while striking out six hitters.

Among those six punchouts were two successful at-bats against Tampa Bay's top prospect Junior Caminero. Through his five innings of work this spring, Nola has struck out eight hitters and has still not surrendered a run.

Tampa Bay's hitters had no chance against Nola's knuckle curve on Thursday, as he threw the pitch 15 times, generating nine swings and an astonishing seven misses for a 78% whiff rate on the pitch.

The 31-year-old is entering his 11th season with the Phillies, and he is coming off of a 14-8, 3.57 ERA in a year in which he made 33 starts and gave Philadelphia 199.1 innings to go with 197 strikeouts.

That effort marked the first season of a seven-year, $172 million pact that Nola agreed to after testing the free agency market after the 2023 season.

During the team's 2023 run to the NLCS, Nola's effectiveness was a major factor in the team's ability to continue to advance through the bracket before they fell short against the Arizona Diamondbacks.

He made four starts to the tune of a 2.35 ERA with a symmetrical 23 strikeouts over 23 innings pitched. Nola's reliability and consistency in both the regular season and playoffs make him the perfect No. 2 starter for a rotation as packed with talent as this one, and he is a safe bet to deliver a solid season once again.

The Phillies are likely to send Wheeler to the mound for Opening Day for the second consecutive year. When Wheeler got the nod last season, he snapped a string of six straight Opening Day starts for Nola that dated back to 2018.

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Kyle Morton
KYLE MORTON

Kyle Morton has covered various sports from amateur to professional level athletics. A graduate of Fordham University, Kyle specializes in MLB and NHL coverage while having previous bylines with SB Nation, The Hockey Writers, HighSchoolOT, and Sports World News. He spent time working the beat for the NHL's Carolina Hurricanes and is an avid fan of the NHL, MLB, NFL and college basketball. Enjoys the outdoors and hiking in his free time away from sports.

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