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In just two days, Aaron Nola will have made the unusual leap of going from pitching in college baseball one year to MLB the next.
Nola’s start on Tuesday night for the Philadelphia Phillies against the visiting Tampa Bay Rays should represent more than a tribute to the ability of this remarkable 22-year-old pitcher; it should reaffirm the organization’s commitment to selecting top-level players out the best college baseball conferences in the country. A year ago, Nola went 10-1 during the regular season for LSU, then was drafted as the seventh overall pick in the June MLB draft and has spent last year and this working his way up the ladder.
College baseball, particularly the brand played in Power 5 conferences like the SEC, fosters a level of competition that cannot be found at the Rookie League and Single-A levels. The fact that Nola dominated both Double-A and Triple-A this season is a testament not only to his arm, but his temperament and intelligence and those years of college seasoning have helped him become much more of a pitcher than thrower. Between Double-A and Triple-A this season, Nola is 10-4 with a 2.39 ERA in 18 starts.
When Phillies fans finally get to see him pitch, he will not remind them of overpowering past Phillies pitchers like Curt Schilling and Steve Carlton or even current ace Cole Hamels. Nola gets his outs by painting the corners. If fans need a good point of reference, they need look no further than a former Phillie-killer, Atlanta Braves’ Hall of Famer Greg Maddox.
If Nola sticks around, then expect the Phillies to hit the college circuit even harder next season. They could do a whole lot worse.
Mike Gibson is a MLB Featured Writer for www.RantSports.com. Follow him on Twitter @papreps , “Like” him on Facebook or add him to your network on Google.
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