In his fourth season in the Major Leagues, Aaron Nola is showcasing the best pitching of his career.  Aside from his 5-1 record in eight starts, Nola is now Fifth in the National League in ERA (2.05), Second in Innings Pitched (52.7), Seventh in Strikeouts Per Nine Innings (9.857) and most impressive, Nola tops the NL in Wins Above Replacement (2.4).  At age 25, Nola may be making the case for his first All-Star selection in a Phillies uniform as he has cemented himself as one of the best pitchers in Baseball in 2018.

USA Today Baseball Writer Steve Gardner joined Rich Quinones on Thursday with his perspective on Aaron Nola in 2018:

“A lot of people at the beginning of the season were pointing to that he was developing, it was just a case of he needed to be able to throw 200 Innings to get into that (Ace) Category – The skills were there, the Strikeout Rate was there, the control was there and this season it looks like he’s putting it all together.  Even though he’s not striking out as many batters as he did last year per Nine Innings calculation, he’s walking fewer (batters) and that kind of control has made him a better pitcher and we see the results.”

Hear what Gardner had to say about Phillies Hitters heating up, Matt Harvey traded to the Reds, Yankees Hot Streak, and more

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