Philadelphia Phillies first half awards: MVP, Cy Young, Rookie of the Year, top minor-leaguers
By John Town
Cy Young-Aaron Nola
It’s fulfilling to watch Aaron Nola be dominant again. After the uncertainty that was his elbow strain that cost him the last two months of the season and the back injury just a few weeks into the season, Nola finally looks like the dominant pitcher we know he can be.
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After an electric performance in his last start before the break Saturday, Nola finished the first half with a 3.59 ERA, 3.40 fielding-independent pitching, 24.6% strikeout rate, 7.6% walk rate, and 1.18 WHIP. He leads the team in both Fangraphs’ and Baseball Reference’s version of wins above replacement.
Nola has been especially good in the last month. Since June 6, Nola has given up more than just two runs in just two of his seven starts.
In that time, he has averaged a game score v2 of 66. For reference, an average score is 50 and anything in the 60-70 range is considered a “good” start. He has recorded a strikeout per inning in each of his last six starts and eight or more strikeouts in his last four starts.
If Nola’s last couple starts are any indication, we could be in for a great second half from Nola this season.
Honorable Mention: Pat Neshek