The Philadelphia Phillies need Aaron Nola to figure things out in two regards to find success on the mound.
The 2026 MLB regular season has been a rocky one for Philadelphia Phillies starting pitcher Aaron Nola.
Much of his difficulty in 2025 was blamed on the injuries he was managing. This year, that excuse doesn’t hold up by all accounts, the veteran right-hander is healthy. Yet his performance has drastically declined.
Through ten starts, he has struggled to make an impact for the Phillies. Nola has pitched 50.2 innings, posting a 6.04 ERA, a 1.559 WHIP, and a 4.46 FIP. While some bad luck may be playing a role in his lackluster results, many of his issues are self-inflicted.
In particular, he has struggled to locate his pitches effectively, which has led to clogged bases and mounting trouble. Still, catcher J.T. Realmuto who was behind the plate for Nola’s most recent start against the Cincinnati Reds—believes his teammate is close to turning things around.
J.T. Realmuto believes Aaron Nola is nearing a breakthrough
“I feel like he’s just a small adjustment away from being … you saw how good he was in the first inning today,” Realmuto told Charlotte Varnes and Matt Gelb of The Athletic (subscription required). “It’s still in there. It all comes down to command and being able to throw the ball where he wants.”
The veteran righty got off to a brilliant start. He came out firing, needing just 11 pitches to get through the top of the first inning. Star shortstop Elly De La Cruz struck out, frozen by a 94 mph fastball.
Using a reverse pitching approach worked against De La Cruz and JJ Bleday. Facing a left-handed hitter, Nola started with a changeup to get ahead in the count. A cutter was then fouled off, followed by another changeup to seal the out.
Before that matchup, two clear weaknesses in Nola’s game were retiring left-handed batters and controlling his fastball. That first inning offered a glimpse of his potential—but it was short-lived.
Little evidence so far that Aaron Nola is reversing his fortunes
The Reds eventually got to the veteran, chasing him from the game after five innings. On the positive side, he issued no walks and allowed no home runs. Left-handed hitters went just 1-for-10 against him in the outing.
Despite those bright spots, he still surrendered eight hits and four earned runs, taking the loss.
Something needs to change to help Nola get back on track, as his current approach isn’t working, and he’s giving his team little chance to win every time he takes the mound.
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