Aaron Nola – Philadelphia Phillies
Aaron Nola has not gotten the same fanfare that his teammate Velasquez has received, but he is every bit as deserving of a place on the all-star team. The Phillies first round pick, number seven overall, in the 2014 draft out of LSU, Nola’s numbers have his name being spoken in the same breath as Kershaw and Arrieta in 2016.
Nola’s 2.14 FIP is third in MLB behind only Kershaw and Noah Syndergaard of the New york Mets. The righty’s 1.9 fWAR places sixth, one spot ahead of Velasquez, and his 2.89 ERA and 9.85 strikeouts per nine innings put him solidly in the top tier of NL hurlers.
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More importantly, Philadelphia has won the last five games Nola has started, keeping pace with the Mets and Nationals far further into the season than anyone could have imagined. The young Phils may not have enough seasoning to contend all summer, but with arms like Nola and Velasquez, they should be in the conversation (and all over all-star rosters) for years to come.