3 Struggling Phillies who need to prove themselves by season’s end
September is flying by, and with every passing game, the Philadelphia Phillies are throwing away their chances at playing postseason baseball once again.
The Phillies have not made the postseason since 2011, their last in a string of five consecutive division titles. And while baseball is a team game, there is a lot of individual blame to go around, and quite a few players have contributed more to the Phillies’ struggles than their teammates. Bryce Harper, for example, is deserving of virtually zero blame; he leads all of MLB in OPS, OPS+, Offensive Win %, you get the picture.
It’s almost the middle of the last month of the regular season, so let’s take a look at a few players who need to turn their season around before it’s over.
Aaron Nola has disappointed all season with the Phillies
The homegrown Nola has been with the Phillies since they picked him in the first round of the 2014 June draft. He made his debut the following season, and was been okay-to-great in his first six seasons with the club.
But Nola is dangerously close to tying or surpassing his worst ERA (4.78 in 2016) this year. Aside from a few brilliant moments – like his Tom Seaver game – he has ranged from inconsistent to terrible all year.
This new stat is particularly appalling:
Aaron Nola now has a 10.57 ERA in the fifth inning, the highest in the NL.
— Matt Breen (@matt_breen) September 12, 2021
Another issue with Nola is his longtime struggles every September. The Phillies as a whole seem unable to close their season out strong, but Nola individually struggles, too. His 4.55 career ERA in the final month of the season is only superseded by June’s 4.99 ERA. He has allowed the most earned runs in Septembers/Octobers, including 30 home runs; he has allowed 19 homers or less in every other month.
While it’s still too soon to talk about the Phillies potentially trading Nola, who is signed through 2022 with a club option for 2023, his performance this season has been unacceptable for a player who is supposed to be a marquee player. And considering the caliber of pitching Dave Dombrowski is used to putting on his teams (Justin Verlander, Chris Sale, David Price), he won’t tolerate much more of the way Nola has been pitching.
Expect trade rumors to swirl this offseason, because the Phillies will have to decide if it’s worth it to keep Nola and hope he bounces back, or trade him before his value gets even lower next season.