Aaron Nola

Nola was born on June 4, 1993, in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, the son of A.J. and Stacie Nola. His maternal grandfather, Richard Barrios, served as sergeant at arms for the Louisiana House of Representatives. As a child, Nola used to mimic a pitching motion while watching himself in the mirror, a gesture that his father described as "strange gyrations". Nola's father served as his Little League Baseball coach until high school, when he began playing for Catholic High School in Baton Rouge. Stress fractures in his back, which doctors attributed to a six-inch summer growth spurt, hampered Nola's freshman season. Across his varsity baseball career, Nola posted a 21–2 win–loss record and 214 strikeouts in 152 innings pitched. ==College career==

Both Aaron and Austin Nola were selected by the Toronto Blue Jays in the 2011 Major League Baseball (MLB) Draft. Aaron elected not to sign with the Blue Jays and instead attended Louisiana State University (LSU), where his brother was a senior. and was roommates with Alex Bregman. After throwing 78 pitches in a 5–0 shutout game against Tulane, Nola finished his freshman season in 2012 with a 7–4 record and a 3.61 earned run average (ERA) in innings, as well as with seven walks and 89 strikeouts. That summer, he played collegiate summer baseball with the Harwich Mariners of the Cape Cod Baseball League, with whom he recorded a 2–0 record and 0.82 ERA in 11 innings. Nola impressed in his second season with LSU. On April 19, he threw his first career shutout complete game against Alabama, becoming the first LSU pitcher to shut out an SEC team since Kevin Gausman in 2011. On May 3 against Florida, Nola became the first LSU pitcher to record four consecutive complete-game victories since Mike Sirotka in 1993, and the first two record two shutouts in one season since Greg Smith in 2005. That year, Nola went 12–1 with a 1.57 ERA in 126 innings pitched. Nola was a finalist for the National Pitcher of the Year Award, and was the recipient of the 2012–13 Corbett Award, given to the best amateur athlete in the state of Louisiana. Prior to the 2014 season, Nola and Bregman were named first-team preseason All-Americans by the NCBWA. and was the recipient of the 2014 National Pitcher of the Year award. He was also a finalist for the Golden Spikes Award, given to the best amateur baseball player in the US, and the Dick Howser Trophy, awarded to the best national college baseball player of the year. Across his three-year career at LSU, Nola posted a 30–6 record and 2.09 ERA in 332 innings, with 42 walks and 345 strikeouts. He ranks third in LSU history for strikeouts, fourth for ERA, and fifth for pitching wins. ==Professional career==

Draft and minor leagues The Philadelphia Phillies selected Nola in the first round, seventh overall, of the 2014 MLB draft. He signed with the team for a $3.3 million signing bonus on June 10, 2014, and was assigned to the Phillies' Class A-Advanced minor league affiliate, the Clearwater Threshers. In his first five starts with the Threshers, Nola posted a 3.80 ERA and 18 strikeouts in innings pitched. That season with Clearwater, he posted a 2–3 record, with a 3.16 ERA and 30 strikeouts in innings pitched. He threw 72 pitches, including 47 strikes, in five innings for the Phillies, who won 9–2. Nola closed out the season in Reading with a 2–0 record and 2.63 ERA in 24 innings pitched. He was promoted to the Triple-A Lehigh Valley IronPigs on June 14, 2015. In his debut on June 18, Nola threw five shutout innings in a 3–0 win over the Buffalo Bisons. Nola went 3–1 with a 3.58 ERA and 1.44 WHIP in six starts with the IronPigs. He was selected for the 2015 MLB All-Star Futures Game but did not pitch. Philadelphia Phillies (2015–present) 2015–16 Nola made his major league debut on July 21, 2015, the first Phillies pitcher to debut the season after he was drafted since Pat Combs in 1989. He wore No. 27 for the Phillies, as his college jersey number 10 was used by coach Larry Bowa. That one run was a solo home run, and the first career hit, from opposing pitcher Nathan Karns. Nola finished the season with a 6–2 record and 3.59 ERA in 13 starts and innings pitched. The Phillies shut Nola down on September 27, following a decision made that July to end his season after pitching approximately 185 innings between the majors and minors. On April 2, 2016, Nola was named to the Phillies' 2016 Opening Day roster. Although he managed a 5–4 record and 2.65 ERA in his first 12 starts, he soon struggled, posting a 9.82 ERA in eight starts between June 11 and July 28, and took a two-week break in July to focus on his physical and mental health. On August 3, the Phillies announced that Nola would go on the 15-day disabled list with a right elbow strain. and he was named to the 25-man roster on April 2. He made a strong return to the mound, allowing two runs or fewer in 18 of his 27-season starts. Recording 184 strikeouts in 27 starts, Nola beat Curt Schilling's 1996 record for most strikeouts by a Phillies pitcher with fewer than 30 starts in one season. In April, he was briefly placed on the disabled list with a lower back strain. He finished the season with a 12–11 record, 3.54 ERA, and 184 strikeouts in 27 starts and 168 innings. Manager Gabe Kapler's decision to remove Nola from the mound after only 68 pitches was subject to controversy, as the relief pitchers during that game gave up eight runs to the Atlanta Braves. On May 8, Nola struck out a career-high 12 batters in seven innings against the San Francisco Giants. He was named to the National League All Star team after posting an 11–2 record and 2.41 ERA in his first 18 starts of the season. Nola finished the season with a 17–6 record and 2.37 ERA in 33 starts and innings. Nola came in third in voting for the National League Cy Young Award, behind Jacob deGrom of the New York Mets and Max Scherzer of the Washington Nationals. 2019–20 During the offseason, on February 13, 2019, Nola signed a four-year, $45 million contract extension with the Phillies, including a $2 million signing bonus. He was once again named the Opening Day starter, throwing six innings in the team's 10–4 win over Atlanta. He posted a 12–7 record for the season, pitching to a 3.87 ERA and 229 strikeouts in 34 starts and innings. He made his third consecutive Opening Day start in 2020, starting in a 5–2 loss against the Miami Marlins. He pitched his first two complete games with the Phillies in 2020, both of which were only seven innings due to a rule that shortened doubleheaders. His August 26 start against the Nationals served as Joe Girardi's 1000th managerial win. In the pandemic-shortened 2020 season, he posted a 5–5 record and 3.28 ERA in 12 starts and innings. 2021 Nola was selected to pitch Opening Day for the fourth year in a row in 2021, the longest streak by a Phillies pitcher since Steve Carlton opened ten seasons in a row between 1977 and 1986. On April 18, Nola threw his first complete game shutout in the MLB, beating the St. Louis Cardinals 2–0. Less than two months later, on June 1, Nola recorded his 1,000th career strikeout. He was the fastest Phillies pitcher to reach that number, doing so in 913 innings, and joined Cole Hamels and Steve Carlton as the only Phillies pitchers to record 1,000 or more strikeouts before the age of 28. On June 25, Nola struck out 10 consecutive batters in a game against the Mets, tying Tom Seaver's April 22, 1970, record for most consecutive strikeouts in a game. For the 2021 season, he had the lowest left on base percentage in the majors, at 66.8%. Nola finished the season with a 9–9 record, pitching to a 4.63 ERA and 223 strikeouts in 32 starts and innings. On August 13, Nola pitched a complete game but took the loss in a pitcher's duel with Jacob deGrom 1–0. On October 3, Nola started the Phillies' playoff-clinching win over the Houston Astros, carrying a perfect game through innings. Nola finished the 2022 season with an 11–13 record, posting a 3.25 ERA and 235 strikeouts in 32 starts and 205 innings. Five days after the Phillies clinched in Houston, Nola threw shutout innings against the St. Louis Cardinals in Game 2 of the National League Wild Card Series as the Phillies won the series 2–0. On October 14, Nola started Game 3 of the National League Division Series, the first Phillies home playoff game in eleven years. He allowed one unearned run and five hits over six innings. Nola started Game 2 of the National League Championship Series, as well, against the San Diego Padres. During the game, Aaron and Austin Nola became the first pair of brothers in Major League Baseball postseason history to face each other as pitcher and batter. During the World Series, Nola was the starting pitcher for the Phillies in Game 1 and Game 4. Nola got a no-decision for Game 1 because he only pitched for 5 innings and gave up 5 runs, including a pair of home runs to Kyle Tucker, the Phillies tied the game and won in the 10th inning due to J. T. Realmuto's game-winning home run. But in Game 4, Nola gave up no runs throughout 4 innings but loaded the bases in the 5th inning and was lifted, and afterward left-handed relief pitcher Jose Alvarado's poor outing resulted in Astros' scoring 5 runs during the inning, and Nola ended up being the losing pitcher in Game 4, a turning point in World Series, which Phillies eventually lost in 6 games. 2023 On November 7, 2022, the Phillies exercised their end of the $16 million club option on Nola for the 2023 season. In the 2023 season, Nola posted a 12–9 record with a 4.46 ERA with 202 strikeouts in 32 starts and 193 innings. He became a free agent following the season but on November 19, 2023, he signed a seven-year, $172 million contract to return to the Phillies. The contract contains no opt-out provisions, and carries a lower average annual value than other comparable free agent starting pitchers to avoid surpassing MLB's luxury tax apron. 2024 Nola made 33 appearances (all starts) for the Phillies over the course of the 2024 campaign, in which he compiled a 14-8 record and 3.57 ERA with 197 strikeouts across 199 innings pitched. 2025 In Nola's first nine starts of the 2025 season, he struggled to a 1-7 record and 6.16 ERA with 52 strikeouts. On June 10, 2025, Nola was shut down due to a stress reaction in his right rib cage. He was transferred to the 60-day injured list on June 19. Nola was activated on August 17. In his final start of the season against the Minnesota Twins on September 26, Nola pitched eight innings, allowed two hits and just one earned run, while striking out nine batters in a 3-1 victory. During his performance in the game, he struck out Edouard Julien in the fifth inning, the 1,872nd career strikeout of Nola's career, surpassing Robin Roberts for second place on the franchise's most strikeouts list. He made 17 appearances (all starts) for the Phillies over the course of the 2025 campaign, in which he compiled a 5-10 record and 6.01 ERA with 97 strikeouts across 94 innings pitched. ==Pitching style==

Early in his career, Nola was labeled the Phillies' ace, with his pitching record drawing favorable comparisons to former club standouts Cole Hamels, Cliff Lee, Roy Halladay, and Roy Oswalt. In 2020, Nola and his teammate Zack Wheeler tied for 11th among major league pitchers, recording 2 Wins Above Replacement (WAR) that season. Going into the 2021 season, Mike DePrisco of NBC Sports ranked Nola sixth among all 30 Opening Day pitchers, while Will Leitch of MLB.com placed him at number 10. In May 2020, Nola had struck out 9.63 batters per nine innings, the highest in franchise history. , he ranked third in the category, trailing Wheeler and Vince Velasquez. Nola has largely maintained the same four-pitch lineup since entering the majors in 2015, throwing a four-seam fastball, a curveball, a changeup, and a sinker. He began working a cutter into his rotation during 2021 spring training, saying, "I've always wanted to throw one but never took it into a game." In his first season in the majors, Nola's four-seam fastball ranged between , while his sinker averaged . He increased his fastball speed to by the start of the 2018 season, but told The Philadelphia Inquirer that his focus is not on speed, saying, "There are different ways to get outs rather than throwing 95, 96, 97 [...] It would be nice to throw 97, but I physically can't." Nola has consistently struggled during September. Between 2018 and 2020, his pre-September statistics showed a 30–9 record and 2.79 ERA in 62 starts, while in September over the same period, he pitched 4–9 with a 4.44 ERA in 17 starts. Former manager Joe Girardi and Nola are aware of Nola's late-season struggles, but are unsure of why they occur. Nola did not miss a start in the rotation from 2017 until May 2025 and was considered one of baseball's most durable pitchers in a profession increasingly plagued by Tommy John surgery. Nola pitched innings from 2018 to 2024, the most in the majors. ==Personal life==

Nola is of Italian descent on his father's side. His great-grandparents emigrated to Baton Rouge from Sicily. His older brother Austin has also played in Major League Baseball. Their uncle suffers from amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). In January 2020, the Nola brothers hosted a "Strike Out ALS" charity event on his behalf. During the COVID-19 pandemic, Nola partnered with Pennsylvania-based brewery Yuengling to launch "Cheers PA," an initiative to provide aid for restaurant and bar workers impacted by shutdowns. He and catcher J. T. Realmuto also serve as the Phillies' ambassadors for Garth Brooks' "Home Plate Project," which raises money to fight childhood hunger in the US and Canada. The Phillies nominated Nola for the 2020 Roberto Clemente Award for his charity work. Nola is a Christian. His walk-up song is "I am Second" by Christian rock band Newsboys. Nola and his wife, Hunter, were married on December 31, 2022. Their daughter was born on March 16, 2024. They are expecting a son in 2026. ==See also==