This Pitch Mix Change Has Aaron Nola Dealing for Phillies

The backend of the Philadelphia Phillies’ starting rotation has been a sore spot for the team virtually all season.

The No. 5 spot was a black hole all year until recently, when Andrew Painter made his return from Triple-A Lehigh Valley and has looked like a completely different pitcher from the person who took the mound 14 times and had a 7.06 ERA.

Aaron Nola, the No. 4 starter in the rotation, struggled as well. After a disastrous start against the Pittsburgh Pirates on June 29, when his ERA ballooned to 6.04, it was gut-check time. The Phillies didn’t have anyone else to turn to, already struggling to fill the spot behind, desperately needing Nola to figure things out.

Since that point, he has more often than not answered the call. There was one poor outing against the Los Angeles Dodgers on July 22 when he gave up five earned runs, but since that point, he has been excellent, and there is one major reason why: his pitch mix.

Aaron Nola has found the right pitch mix for recent matchups

Philadelphia Phillies pitcher Aaron Nola (27) throws a pitch. — Aug 8, 2026; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Philadelphia Phillies pitcher Aaron Nola (27) throws a pitch against the Toronto Blue Jays during the second inning at Citizens Bank Park. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Over his last four starts, Nola has been as good as any stretch during the season. He has thrown 21.2 innings over that stretch, allowing seven earned runs while striking out 26 batters, including a season-high-tying nine in the Field of Dreams Game against the Minnesota Twins.

Earlier in the season, one of the reasons that the veteran righty was struggling so mightily was his inability to locate his fastball. It wasn’t that he was walking too many people; quite the opposite, actually. He was in the middle of the plate too much, and opponents were hammering the ball.

Aaron Nola ties a season high with 9 strikeouts!#MLBatFieldofDreams pic.twitter.com/yqwOJERt0i
— MLB (@MLB) August 14, 2026

Improved command of his four-seamer has certainly led to better production, but Nola has also adjusted the pitch mix of his arsenal, which has made his most effective pitch, his knuckle curve, even more devastating.

As shared by Kevin Kinkead on X, Nola has used his knuckle curve over his last four starts 27.1% of the time, which is a decrease from the previous usage of 34.3%. However, his whiff rate has risen to 51.9% from 40.8%.

The biggest increase in usage is the changeup. Nola has thrown that offering 25.5% of the time over his last four starts, compared to only 14.2% of the time previously. That has led to a decrease in two-seam/sinker usage and cutter usage, but the veteran has turned to his four-seamer more often.

Aaron Nola over his last four starts.

Huge increase in changeup use.

Knuckle curve volume is actually down, but the whiff rate is way up, from 40.8% to 51.9% - pic.twitter.com/d1imIgTYqD
— Kevin Kinkead (@Kevin_Kinkead) August 14, 2026

Whatever issue was plaguing him earlier in the year, with his inability to locate the four-seamer, Nola has been able to put that behind him. The fastball is his most used pitch over the last four starts at 28.1%, just beating out the knuckle curve.

His pitch mix looks to be more matchup-based recently, not an overarching change in philosophy. However, there is no arguing against the results; Nola is performing at a high level when the team needs him most.

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