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Is Aaron Nola the most under-appreciated athlete in Philadelphia?

On Episode 140 of The Felske Files, hosts John Stolnis and Justin Klugh talk about the insanely good Aaron Nola, and share their reactions to the death of Darren Daulton.

By John Stolnis and Justin Klugh

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Philadelphia Phillies v Seattle Mariners Photo by Stephen Brashear/Getty Images

Episode 140 of The Felske Files is brought to you by Anthony Arot and The Nash Wealth Management Group! Check them out here!

It’s understandable that most people in Philadelphia have navigated away from the Phillies.

After the start of another brutal road trip in which they lost the first five of six games to the Anaheim Angels and Colorado Rockies, the Phils once again have the worst record in baseball. Eagles training camp is underway, and very few people are paying attention to the Phillies.

And that’s a shame, because there is one member of the club that is actually performing at an elite level. Aaron Nola is throwing like one of the very best pitchers in baseball, and no one in the area has seemed to notice.

In his last nine starts, Nola has an ERA of 1.76, the best mark among all MLB starters with at least 50 innings pitched over that stretch. His 2.54 FIP is 4th-best, his .207 batting average against is 9th-best, and his 28.7% strikeout percentage is 10th-best in the Majors.

Then, there’s this.

Nola was the biggest question mark coming into the season, given his injury history and how he finished the 2016 season. After a DL stint earlier this year, Nola had an ERA of 5.06 through his first six starts.

But now, through 17 starts, that ERA is down to 3.16 after pitching seven innings and giving up just two runs with seven strikeouts against the Rockies.

Is there a more under-appreciated athlete in Philadelphia? That was one of the items discussed in Episode 140 of The Felske Files, as hosts John Stolnis and Justin Klugh dive into the numbers behind Nola’s surge as one of baseball’s top arms.

Also discussed on this week’s episode...

  • The Phillies announced late Sunday night that long-time Phillies great Darren Daulton had lost his battle with brain cancer.
  • John and Justin talked about “Dutch’s” legacy in Philadelphia and with the franchise.
  • Pete Mackanin had a rough afternoon on Sunday, despite the Phillies pulling out the come-from-behind victory against the Rockies.
  • Did Mackanin do enough to defend his young pitcher after getting squeezed by the home plate umpire on Sunday?
  • Why was it Bowa that was thrown out and not Mackanin?
  • What is it that Mackanin does really well as a manager?
  • Will Pete Mackanin be the team’s skipper next year?
  • Mickey Moniak’s first full season of professional baseball isn’t going as well as when he first hit the field last year.
  • Moniak has had to learn to deal with struggles as a teenager playing his first season of A-ball.
  • Where does he stand in the pecking order of Phillies prospects?
  • ADVERTISE WITH THE FELSKE FILES! Email John Stolnis at jstolnis@gmail.com for rates. I have rates to match every budget!
  • PLEASE VISIT THE FELSKE FILES TEEPUBLIC.COM STORE! Click right here for phenomenal T-shirts and other apparel!

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