Long-time Philadelphia Phillies starter Aaron Nola reached a significant career milestone in his start against the Toronto Blue Jays. In the second inning, the right-hander landed a front-hip sinker to freeze Blue Jays catcher Brandon Valenzuela for his 2,000th career strikeout.
In that moment, Nola became just the second Phillies pitcher to record 2,000 strikeouts with the club. The only other pitcher in franchise history to achieve that was Hall of Fame left-hander Steve Carlton.
The 2,000 strikeout milestone is a reminder of how much the 33-year-old has meant to the Phillies over the past decade. All of them have come in a Phillies uniform, the only organization he’s played his entire professional career with.
Looking at Aaron Nola’s Phillies Career After 2000th Strikeout
Aaron Nola was the club’s first-round pick in the 2014 MLB Draft, selected seventh overall out of Louisiana State University. 12 years later, the right-hander has more than made good on that decision.
He’s been through it all with the club in their current contention window. He was a frontline starter in the team’s 2022-2024 postseason runs, leading to a $172 million contract in free agency.
He’s also experienced the lows of being an inconsistent starter the past two seasons. He has a 5.75 ERA since the start of the 2025 season. He got off to a rough start in 2026, but has pitched better over his last seven starts.
Here’s where Nola ranks in Phillies All-Time pitching records, through the first two innings of his current start, courtesy of Baseball Reference.
- Starts: 309 (3rd)
- Innings Pitched: 1837.2 (7th)
- Strikeouts: 2,000 (2nd)
- Wins Above Replacement: 36.3 (6th)
When considering those things, Nola is a candidate for the Phillies Wall of Fame. He is, statistically speaking, one of the top pitchers in franchise history. While he’s been overshadowed by bigger names today, such as Zack Wheeler, Jesus Luzardo, and Cristopher Sanchez, his contributions to the organization can’t be ignored during his decline.
The 2026 season hasn’t been as kind for the right-hander. Entering this start against Toronto, Nola has a 5.55 ERA in 120 innings. Part of that has been his propensity to surrender the long ball, as his 28 are the most surrendered by any MLB pitcher this season.
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