The Philadelphia Phillies are officially on fire as May winds down. A six-game win streak ahead of Thursday's action has left the Phillies with an NL East-leading 31-18 record through 49 games, leaving time to tell how Rob Thomson's team will extend the newfound momentum as the summer months near.
The Phillies have cemented themselves as one of the top MLB clubs this season, and that reputation wouldn't be possible without key players living up to expectations. Having said that, some veterans are struggling to add to the winning brand of baseball that Philadelphia is building, including one starting pitcher who's robbed the club blind before June even arrives.
Phillies RHP Aaron Nola's 2025 Performance is Robbing Philadelphia Blind
When it comes to struggling Phillies vets this season, right-handed hurler Aaron Nola's 2025 performance has been among the club's most disappointing efforts. Although there's still plenty of time left to turn things around, the 31-year-old righty has a ways to go to live up to the $24.57 million salary he's commanding this season.
Drafted seventh overall in 2007, Nola has been a mainstay in the Phillies' rotation for the last 11 seasons. He's consistently been among the National League's best pitchers, including when he finished 11th in the 2024 NL Cy Young race after going 14-8 with a 3.57 ERA and 197 strikeouts across an MLB-leading 33 starts.
Much to Phillies fans' dismay, though, Nola hasn't been the same pitcher since he was lit up for two homers and four earned runs on five hits in a 7-2 loss to the New York Mets in Game 3 of last fall's NL Division Series.
As May winds down, Nola currently sits at a career-worst 6.16 ERA after his first nine 2025 starts. He's pitched to an abysmal 1-7 record along the way while also surrendering personal-worsts regarding hits (10.7) and home runs (2.0) per nine innings pitched. The Phillies' batters also play less confidently when he starts, proven by their averaging only 3.0 runs in Nola's outings so far.
It'll be interesting to see what Nola's Phillies future will look like if he doesn't turn things around soon. The one-time MLB All-Star RHP is set to make $24.57 million each season from now through 2030, and Philadelphia could look to trade his contract elsewhere if his performance doesn't show signs of improvement.
Hopefully, Nola can quickly rediscover his groove to help add to Philadelphia's already successful campaign. If he can successfully turn back the clock, the Baton Rouge, LA native could play a big role in helping the Phillies capitalize on their +1000 odds to win the 2025 World Series (4th) on FanDuel Sportsbook.
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