Phillies 2017: Five Key Developing Players
By Matt Veasey
STARTING ROTATION KEY
The 2016 season was one of major disappointment, and near disaster, for right-handed starting pitcher Aaron Nola.
Things actually started out fine. Building off a strong 2015 rookie campaign, Nola went 5-4 over his first dozen starts a year ago. At that point he had allowed just 62 hits over 78 innings with an 85/15 K:BB ratio.
Then things began to go terribly wrong. Nola made five starts in the month of June. In the final four, he was unable to reach the 4th inning, and he was getting battered. Over those four outings, Nola allowed 22 earned runs on 32 hits in just 13 innings, registering just a 14/7 K:BB ratio.
Though his performance improved in four July starts, the results were still not up to his or the team’s expectations. And perhaps of greater concern, Nola’s elbow was barking.
Following a July 28 start in Atlanta, Nola was shut down for what would turn out to be the rest of the season. Many feared the worst – Tommy John surgery. The doctors instead recommended rest.
It turned out the Nola did indeed suffer an elbow strain. The period of rest followed by a controlled fall throwing program seems to have him back to 100%, at least so far.
HEALTH THE KEY FOR NOLA IN 2017
The club’s first round pick at 7th overall in the 2014 MLB Amateur Draft is now scheduled for his first spring training outing on Thursday in the fifth starter’s position of the rotation.
Pitching coach Bob McClure was quoted on the rotation positioning in a piece by Ryan Lawrence of The Philly Voice:
"“Right now, in the spring, I’m pitching Nola later because of the fact that he had some arm discomfort at the end (of last season) and I’m giving him as much time as he can. I can get him ready to go in any slot (of the rotation). Right now, I want the extra time in the spring to get into games and go from there.”"
Nola has the talent and makeup to become a #2 type starting pitcher in the big leagues. Prior to his elbow troubles, he was arguably already the Phillies best starting pitcher.
It’s hard to say what the short-term future holds. If he has more elbow troubles, and eventually does need the TJ surgery, he loses a year. Turning just 24 years of age in early June, that wouldn’t be the end of the world. But it would certainly push back his own and the team’s development.
The hope is that Nola is past whatever his troubles may have been. If he is, and he is able to produce a full season to mirror or surpass the 33 starts that he has already made in his career, it will be huge for the success of the 2017 Phillies.