Earlier this season, Philadelphia Phillies starting pitcher Aaron Nola became just the second pitcher in team history, dating back to 1883, to strikeout 2,000 batters. On Thursday, he was given the ball for the Field of Dreams Game, with the only other Phillies pitcher to do so, Steve Carlton, among the legends there to watch.
“It was really nice to pitch in one of these games; really nice to pitch here,” Nola said. “Beautiful field, beautiful scenery, fans were great. So it was really cool to check this one off, and I definitely will look back at this later on in my career and after I’m done.”
It ended up being a strong performance for Nola. He went 5.0 innings with 9 strikeouts. He’d also only end up giving up one run, on a solo home run in the second inning.
Nola became the stopper who the Phillies desperately needed. Having lost two in a row and two series in a row, it was a much needed spark as they are trying to battle for a Wild Card spot.
Philadelphia Phillies SP Aaron Nola is Learning to Adjust
GettyPhiladelphia Phillies SP Aaron Nola
For all the success that Aaron Nola has had with the Phillies, it’s been a long couple of seasons, going back to 2025. With a 6.01 ERA last season and a 5.33 ERA to this point in 2026, there have been not unfair concerns about his future with the team.
So, Nola has done what he’s had to do. In his age 33 season, he’s making adjustments to how he’s pitching.
“Obviously, it’s been an up-and-down season, but lately I’ve been feeling really good,” Nola said. “I don’t have that 95-100 mph like a lot of these guys do, so I just have to find ways to get outs. For me, it’s about going out there and competing and finding any way I can to get the hitter out and limit the runs and damage.”
Recently, those adjustments have been working for Nola. In his last four starts, Nola has given up a total of 7 earned runs in 21.2 innings pitched. That’s good for a 2.91 ERA over his last four starts. It’s a significant improvement, even if home runs (he has a league-leading 30 allowed) are still an issue.
Phillies manager Don Mattingly added to that. In particular, that he’s figuring things out without velocity.
“He just keeps making adjustments,” Don Mattingly said. “ … He’s had to learn to pitch without the 96 [mph], which speeds guys up. He’s got to be locating, he’s got to be changing speeds, he’s got to be keeping guys off balance — a great example of that tonight.”
The Phillies Need Aaron Nola at His Best
GettyPhiladelphia Phillies SP Aaron Nola
The Phillies chose not to go out and add pitching at the Trade Deadline. That was, in no small part, because Phillies President Dave Dombrowski believes in Aaron Nola and what he’s still capable of being on the mound.
The Phillies are currently clinging to their spot in the playoffs. At 65-58, they currently hold the final Wild Card spot. That’s only 0.5 games ahead of the Arizona Diamondbacks. Not too far behind that, the Miami Marlins and St. Louis Cardinals are still lurking, too.
Catching the Atlanta Braves in the division may not be realistic at this point. However, once the postseason starts, anything is possible. You just have to get there.
That means that there’s nowhere to hide and just about no other options for the Phillies. They need Nola at his best. He was able to give them that during the Field of Dreams Game, but that has to be consistent through the end of the season.
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