Philadelphia Phillies: At 28, Aaron Nola compares to this current MLB great

If you scroll down low enough onto someone’s Baseball-Reference Page, you’ll find just above their transaction history a Similarity Score. At each age, players are compared to other players. Philadelphia Phillies pitcher Aaron Nola may have undergone some rough times on the mound, but if his similarity score tells us something, it could say the best has yet to come.

Through his age 28 season, Nola compares most to future Hall of Famer Max Scherzer. Scherzer’s age 28 campaign was his first All-Star selection as a member of the Detroit Tigers, a year where he won 21 games and took home his first Cy Young.

Although Scherzer, by that point in 2013, was ahead of where Nola looks to be right now, there’s reason for optimism. While I won’t anoint Nola as the next Phillies Hall of Fame pitcher, it could suggest he has some better days ahead.

Philadelphia Phillies pitcher Aaron Nola can still get on the right path to something better.

It’s no fluke that Nola compares to Scherzer at this point in his career. Scherzer’s best days came after age 28, something Phillies fans will be hoping for – particularly if he stays beyond his current contract.

Nola has shown those signs in the past that he could be one of the league’s best starters. The 2018 season was the finest example of this when he went 17-6 with a 2.37 ERA. He would finish third in the Cy Young vote that year, with Scherzer being one of the two to outduel him.

The connection between Nola and Scherzer wasn’t the only one to catch my attention. At age 27, Nola compared most to former Phillies pitcher and Cooperstown resident Jim Bunning. By this point in his career, Bunning had yet to join the Phillies. Much like Scherzer, Bunning would find success after leaving Detroit for a National League East team.

Finally, there’s the Similar Pitchers rank which doesn’t focus on age. There, we find Nola has a score similar to teammate Zack Wheeler. It’s looking like Wheeler could very well follow in the same path as Scherzer and Bunning. It took him a while to figure things out as a member of the New York Mets. Over the past two seasons, we have seen him turn into one of the league’s best starters.

Could Nola live up to this path, or will he stray away?

It’s a long road ahead for Nola to follow. For now, we can share in the optimism that maybe this is the beginning of something better. With any luck, that better happens exclusively in Philadelphia.