Phillies starting rotation power rankings going into the 2024 season

No. 2: Aaron Nola

Re-signing Aaron Nola stands as the Phillies' biggest move this offseason. With a healthy market for Nola's services evident at the outset of free agency, the Phillies saw enough competition to offer the 30-year-old a seven-year, $172 million contract to remain with the Phillies for what will likely be the rest of his career. Will the familiar locale and hometown discount lead to a World Series for the new Mr. Phillie?

Contract years are a tricky proposition for major league ball players. On one hand, you have to go out and block out the distractions and perform with the prospects of free agency looming on the horizon. On the other hand, depending on where a player is in their major league career, the difference between success and failure dictates the type of market that awaits at season's end and how lucrative contract offers will be.

For Nola, it's safe to say these questions were a contributing factor in 2023.

He had a subpar season in 2023. Pitching to a record of 12-9 in 32 starts, the right-hander was able to improve upon his sub-.500 win-loss totals of 11-13 from 2022. Nola recorded a 4.46 ERA and 202 strikeouts in 2023 in 193 2/3 innings, while giving up a career high 32 home runs to opposing hitters.

Hitters had a healthy .286 batting average with batted balls in play, and at times Nola was very hittable. In fact, Nola is only 49-43 since his 17-6 2018 season when he was named to his lone All-Star team.

When the Phillies re-signed Nola earlier this offseason, the team paid him to be a No. 2 or No. 3 starter. That's not a knock on Nola, but a reality check on the kind of pitcher he is on a contending team.

Sure, the Atlanta Braves or Boston Red Sox could have topped the $172 million the Phillies ultimately gave Nola, but the player and the team have the type of relationship where this deal got done very quickly. Is Nola good enough to serve as a No. 2 starter in a tough division? That question is open to debate.

Entering this season, Phillies fans are hoping that Nola, one year removed from an up-and-down year will regain the consistency that once made him an All-Star. With no more lingering doubts about where he will pitch for the foreseeable future, could this peace of mind result in the best season for Nola since 2018?

That's the hope going forward. A fun storyline to follow in 2024 will be Nola recording his 100th win in a Phillies uniform. Currently sitting with a career record of 90 wins and 79 losses, Nola is only ten wins away from this milestone, and comes into the season as No. 2 on our Phillies starting pitcher power rankings.