Tommy Greene: Nola’s Got That Little Bit Of Funkiness

The Phillies lone All-Star representative this season is Aaron Nola who is having a pronominal year with a 12-2 record and his 2.27 ERA is the Third best in the National League.  The 25 year old Nola is second in the NL in Wins Above Replacement (5.6), Fourth in Strikeouts (126) and Third in Batting Average Against (.200); those numbers vault him directly into the conversation for the NL Cy Young Award and some have suggested that Nola could be an NL MVP Award candidate.

NBC Sports Philadelphia Phillies Analyst Tommy Greene joined The Sports Bash on Friday and discussed how Nola has been so elite this season:

"(Nola has) got that little bit of funkiness to him, it kind of drives hitters nuts a little bit as far as deception - If you’re breaking timing (of the hitter) and you’ve got them thinking up there, that’s what I want as a pitcher. I want them thinking too much. If he’s thinking too much, he’s gonna lock up and that’s what Nola’s got to do...(because) he commands what he does. He’s got late life and he’s deceptive and he’s got three pitches that he commands what it does and that’s the key. That’s called consistency and as a pitcher in the big leagues, that’s what we’re trying to do. Throw strikes early so it appears to be a strike late and you take the authority out of their bats."

Checkout what Greene had to say about Chase Utley's retirement announcement, the attendance at Citizens Bank Park in 2018, the Phillies Pitching Staff, and more