| IP | 16 |
|---|---|
| ERA | 4.5 |
| WHIP | 1.5 |
| BB/9 | 4.5 |
| SO/9 | 5.63 |
- Full name Aaron Michael Nola
- Born 06/04/1993 in Baton Rouge, LA
- Profile Ht.: 6'2" / Wt.: 200 / Bats: R / Throws: R
- School Louisiana State
- Debut 07/21/2015
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Drafted in the 1st round (7th overall) by the Philadelphia Phillies in 2014 (signed for $3,300,900).
View Draft Report
The Blue Jays drafted Nola and his older brother Austin in 2011, and they both turned down the Jays to play the 2012 season together at LSU. While Austin is now playing shortstop at Double-A in the Marlins system, Aaron was having one of the best seasons in college baseball in 2014. Athletic and flexible, Nola manages to stay on top of his pitches and command them despite a mid-three-quarters release point that gives his fastball excellent life. His fastball sits 93-94 mph and touches 95 regularly, and he reached back for 96 in a hyped, head-to-head showdown with Vanderbilt and Tyler Beede in March. Nola's fastball command ranks toward the top of the college class, as he can pitch to both sides of the plate, though his walk rate has increased (1.3 to 2.3 per nine) this season as he has thrown more sliders. His strikeout rate has jumped even more (8.7 to 10.7 per nine). Nola arrived at LSU with a plus changeup with sink that looked like his fastball out of his hand, but he has lost feel for his change while improving his slider, which was once below-average. Scouts give his slider average or better grades as he has added power to the pitch, but they would like to see a return of his plus change. Nola gets swings and misses in the zone with his fastball, the mark of a starting pitcher, and is one of the safest bets in the class. His command should help the 6-foot-1, 196-pounder move quickly.
Top Rankings
Organization Prospect Rankings
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Nola entered his junior year at Louisiana State with high expectations, then exceeded them in an All-America 11-1, 1.47 campaign. He ranked third in NCAA Division I in strikeouts in 2014, and the Phillies popped him seventh overall, signing him for a $3,300,900 bonus'the secondhighest in team history. Nola's hallmark is his stellar command, which stems from good athletic ability and freakish flexibility. His fastball checks in at 93-95 mph and gets excellent life from a mid-three-quarters arm slot. He backs up the fastball with a slider and changeup, which each have the potential to be plus in the future. He's on a fast track for sure, but the Phillies would like to see him improve in a few areas before they consider him for the rotation. Most notably, they'd like to make sure he stays consistent with his arm slot. When it drops lower than three-quarters, his slider tends to flatten. His changeup, a plus pitch earlier in his career, has regressed. He needs to work more on controlling the running game. The Phillies' best pitching prospect by a wide margin, Nola finished his pro debut at Double-A Reading and should return there to start 2015. He should at least score a Philadelphia cameo by season's end, if he's not up sooner.
Draft Prospects
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The Blue Jays drafted Nola and his older brother Austin in 2011, and they both turned down the Jays to play the 2012 season together at LSU. While Austin is now playing shortstop at Double-A in the Marlins system, Aaron was having one of the best seasons in college baseball in 2014. Athletic and flexible, Nola manages to stay on top of his pitches and command them despite a mid-three-quarters release point that gives his fastball excellent life. His fastball sits 93-94 mph and touches 95 regularly, and he reached back for 96 in a hyped, head-to-head showdown with Vanderbilt and Tyler Beede in March. Nola's fastball command ranks toward the top of the college class, as he can pitch to both sides of the plate, though his walk rate has increased (1.3 to 2.3 per nine) this season as he has thrown more sliders. His strikeout rate has jumped even more (8.7 to 10.7 per nine). Nola arrived at LSU with a plus changeup with sink that looked like his fastball out of his hand, but he has lost feel for his change while improving his slider, which was once below-average. Scouts give his slider average or better grades as he has added power to the pitch, but they would like to see a return of his plus change. Nola gets swings and misses in the zone with his fastball, the mark of a starting pitcher, and is one of the safest bets in the class. His command should help the 6-foot-1, 196-pounder move quickly.
Minor League Top Prospects
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Heading into the season, Nola ranked as the Phillies' unquestioned top pitching prospect and, along with third baseman Maikel Franco, gave the franchise two prominent symbols of a looming franchise rebuild. Armed with a low-90s fastball as well as a sharp slurve and changeup, Nola began the year at Reading in the hopes of ironing out a few things before a callup to Philadelphia. He realized that goal on July 21, following a brief stopover at Triple-A Lehigh Valley. Even if none of Nola's pitches grade as plus, his entire arsenal gets a bump from the way he commands the ball and goes after hitters. He moves the ball around the zone, shows a willingness to attack and pitches to both corners with life on all of his offerings. Nola throws from a lower arm slot, so he generates a bit of a deception to help overcome a lack of physicality. In his two months with the Phillies, he appeared ready to assume a mid-rotation role for the near future.
