Bold opening: Aaron Nola feels stronger and more ready than ever as Phillies spring training begins, and that confidence could set the tone for a bounce-back 2026.
Here we go again. For the fourth consecutive year, Philly fans and observers alike wonder if the Phillies can at last reach the World Series in 2026. If you’ve hung around as the franchise’s longest-tenured pitcher, you know both the sting of an 11-year playoff drought and the electric thrill of starting a World Series game on the mound.
Nola arrives with a clear goal: rebound from a tough 2025 and deliver a healthier, more potent season after pitching roughly 194 innings on average from 2021–2024, then totaling just 94 1/3 innings in 2025. He’s determined to reclaim his form in 2026.
Last season was marked by disappointment and injuries. Nola went 1-7 with a 6.16 ERA in nine starts before an ankle sprain landed him on the injured list in May. During rehab in June, he suffered a rib stress fracture. He returned to the Phillies’ rotation in August, making eight more starts, but only three of those outings featured fewer than four earned runs.
Nola reflected on the ankle issue, acknowledging it lingered longer than expected and noting how much he relies on pushing off the mound and rotating the ankle. He said on NBC Sports Philadelphia’s Phillies Talk podcast that he learned a lot about his body during that period and feels it helped him shape his training going into 2026.
By the end of 2025, Nola felt fully healthy. In his final regular-season start, he limited opponents to two hits and one earned run over eight innings. Still, he decided to adjust his offseason routine to enter Clearwater stronger than ever.
“The offseason went well,” he said. “I ramped up a bit earlier, started everything sooner… throwing and workouts. I didn’t dive in too quickly, but I eased into it. Normally, I take about two and a half months off from throwing to let everything repair, but I felt good starting early and came into spring training feeling stronger.”
As the team approaches the regular season, expectations remain high. Some view this past offseason as underwhelming, despite the Phillies re-signing key veterans Kyle Schwarber and J.T. Realmuto. Yet Nola believes the roster is capable of winning a World Series.
“That’s the ultimate goal,” he said. “This is a great group. We all know it. Some fans wanted to see new faces, but we’ve got a really solid team, and bringing J.T. and Kyle back was for good reason. They’re core guys and exceptional teammates we need.”
The Phillies are a 95-win team with consecutive NL East titles, but Nola has lived through the franchise’s rebuilding years. He offered perspective on how the team has evolved.
“I can’t speak for everyone, but in my own experience coming up through this organization’s rebuild, there were springs when you knew playoffs wouldn’t be realistic,” Nola recalled. “In those middle years, I thought we had a shot, only to miss out by August or September. Then we finally got over that hump in 2022 and got hot. Nobody expected us to reach the World Series and push to Game 6, but now the expectations are clear: we know we’re a good team, we know we’ll win a lot of games, and now we have to go out and prove it again.”
Ultimately, the formula is simple: stay healthy, maintain consistency, and produce. But with a veteran-heavy roster, that’s easier said than done.
“It won’t be easy,” Nola acknowledged. “There’s no guarantee we’ll win the division or reach the playoffs. We have to stick to our plans and play the way we know how to play. We’ve played with each other for a long time, which helps.”
Watch the full Phillies Talk interview with Aaron Nola for more insights.
