Apr 16, 2025; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Philadelphia Phillies starting pitcher Aaron Nola (27) looks on before the game against the San Francisco Giants at Citizens Bank Park. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Ross-Imagn Images
Wednesday was the 272nd start of Aaron Nola's MLB career. It marked the first time in his career where he walked four or more hitters in consecutive starts, as Nola handed out a quartet of free passes in Wednesday's 11-4 loss to the San Francisco Giants, five days after doing so in a losing effort against the St. Louis Cardinals.
There are plenty of pitchers in the game today that manage to be effectively wild. Blake Snell, for example, won the NL Cy Young Award in 2023, despite leading baseball with 99 walks.
But Nola is a pitcher who has thrived pitching in the strike zone throughout the course of his career. He walked only 29 batters across 205 innings in 2022, leading baseball with a 1.3 BB/9. Perhaps that's an extreme example. Even a year ago, though, Nola only walked four batters twice in 33 starts.
Not only has he walked four batters in two straight outings, but he's walked in a run in each. Throughout his career, Nola has been susceptible to the home run. But walking in runs is the last way you would expect Nola to get beat.
So what gives?
"Yeah, it drives me crazy. I mean, it's unacceptable," Nola said of having bases-loaded walks in consecutive games. "Three times in my career I've done that, and two times the past two games. I just gotta get ahead better. Too many free passes, and usually those runs have been scoring. And I'm just kind of making it harder on myself in those situations.
"Eight walks in two games overall, that's not good," Nola added. "So, I'll clean it up."
Aaron Nola on struggles with command recently: “It’s unacceptable.”
(Via @TimKellySports) pic.twitter.com/P4vXx1Ik6q
For what it's worth, there don't seem to be any physical or mental concerns for Nola.
"My body feels good, confidence is good," Nola said. "I got some ground balls tonight with guys on first base, they just squeaked through the hole. I just try to focus on that kind of stuff, and just try to make the next pitch and get what I need to get. Certain days, those balls would go right to the guys for double plays or ground ball outs. So, I'm good. I mean, head, overall, good. I just need to keep making pitches."
Nola did generate 13 swings and misses Wednesday, and after allowing four runs in the first inning, he largely settled down and managed to give the Phillies 5 1/3 innings. But he also gave up nine hits and his ERA has now spiked to 6.65 on the season.
There is, of course, a long-term concern here considering Nola is in the second season of a seven-year/$172 million deal. More immediately, though, the Phillies entered the season expecting Nola to be a key cog in arguably the best rotation in baseball. Whether it's been home runs or walks, it's been a disastrous first month of the season for the longest-tenured Phillie. In fact, Nola called it "definitely the worst start I've ever had" after the latest difficult outing.
