By Devon Givens 

At the start of the 2022 season, much of the talk surrounding the Phillies was about the bats. They had a strong lineup of hitters surrounding reigning MVP Bryce Harper. The acquisitions of slugger Kyle Schwarber and all-around hitter Nick Castellanos would give them more pop one through five. Allowing for some crooked numbers to be put on the board nightly giving their pitching staff plenty of run support while leaving opposing pitchers frustrated by the game’s end. But your own pitchers can also leave you frustrated. One Phils pitcher that has left many Philadelphia fans frustrated over the last few seasons due to the up and down nature of his career is Aaron Nola. 

Making his debut in 2015 with 13 starts, Nola has looked promising as the future ace of the Phillies staff. The veteran pitcher is now in his eighth season. Questions remained as the start of the ‘22 campaign got underway. Which Aaron Nola would we see this season? After a tough start for the right-hander, things have since gone in a positive direction. He has established himself as one of the better pitchers in the National League. At the All-Star break, Nola is fifth in the majors with 137 strikeouts – good for second in the NL trailing only Milwaukee’s Corbin Burnes. He’s also second in all of baseball with 126.2 innings pitched through a team-high 19 starts. He has exhibited good command, great approach, and an aggressive attacking style versus the hitters. A formula that seems to be working for Nola and the team under interim manager Rob Thomson. 

With the first half of the season complete, the Phillies have a 49-43 record. They are in the thick of the playoff picture. They share the third wild card spot with the St Louis Cardinals. If Philadelphia is going to make their way into the postseason for the first time since 2012, they’re going to need Nola to continue to perform as he did in the first half. As one of the better pitchers in baseball.