Aaron Nola in Discussion as Worst Starting Pitcher in MLB

Aaron Nola is struggling mightily for the Philadelphia Phillies.

Jun 29, 2026; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Philadelphia Phillies pitcher Aaron Nola (27) reacts after allowing a run against the Philadelphia Phillies during the fifth inning at Citizens Bank Park. | Eric Hartline-Imagn Images

Veteran starting pitcher Aaron Nola has done a lot for the Philadelphia Phillies throughout his career with the team.

When he took the mound against the Pittsburgh Pirates in his most recent outing, it was start No. 302 with the franchise, putting him into sole possession of third place in franchise history. A first-round pick in the 2014 MLB Draft, No. 14 overall, he has certainly lived up to expectations.

Nola has been a reliable innings eater for the team, someone they could rely on to put the team in a position to win every time he took the mound. Alas, that is no longer the case, as he is in the running as the worst starting pitcher since the start of the 2025 season.

Last year, some of his struggles could certainly be attributed to the injuries he dealt with. Never quite feeling right, Nola had a 6.01 ERA across 94.1 innings, but there wasn’t any doubt about his status as part of the team’s rotation moving forward.

Aaron Nola has third-worst ERA since start of 2025

Jun 29, 2026; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Philadelphia Phillies pitcher Aaron Nola (27) reacts after allowing a home run against the Pittsburgh Pirates during the fifth inning at Citizens Bank Park. | Eric Hartline-Imagn Images

That benefit of the doubt no longer exists. After the Phillies lost to the Pirates 11-7, Nola’s ERA is now 6.04 in 2026. That puts him in the discussion as the least productive member of a starting rotation in the sport.

He has made 34 starts since the beginning of 2025. During that time, he has a 6.02 ERA, which is the third-worst mark in the MLB amongst pitchers with at least 150 innings pitched, per Matt Gelb of The Athletic (subscription required). The only players who are worse are Jack Kochanowicz, who has a 6.58 ERA with the Los Angeles Angels and German Márquez, who has a 6.52 ERA with the Colorado Rockies and San Diego Padres.

The biggest difference between the three is that Kochanowicz and Marquez aren’t being paid to perform like a frontend starter. Nola is set to earn $24.6 million on average per season through 2030.

"He's not the same pitcher and, unfortunately, they've got to pay him $25 million-plus for four years after this one."

The PGL crew breaks down Aaron Nola's struggles. pic.twitter.com/azZXA2PWWF

— NBC Sports Philadelphia (@NBCSPhilly) June 30, 2026

With no help on the horizon, pitching coach Caleb Cotham and the team have to figure out a way to get Nola to be at least somewhat serviceable. Most of the time when he takes the mound, he isn’t giving the team much of a chance to win.

It was the same issue they ran into with Andrew Painter, who was optioned to Triple-A Lehigh Valley along with left-handed reliever Tanner Banks earlier this month. There is no such move coming for Nola, who will continue taking the ball every fifth day.

With what resembles bullpen games each time Alan Rangel’s turn in the rotation comes up, Philadelphia has to do something to get more out of Nola. Durability and reliability were his two calling cards throughout his career; in the last two years, he has failed to get it done in both regards.

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