July 17, 2015
Phillies fans are finally getting their wish. And no, not the one where Ruben Amaro gets fired. The other one, the one that might actually get you to buy a ticket.
The team's first-round pick in the 2014 MLB Draft, starting pitcher Aaron Nola, will make his big league debut on Tuesday when the Phillies host the Rays at Citizens Bank Park.
He will be the first player drafted by #Phils to make his ML debut the very next season since Pat Combs (drafted June '88, debut Sept '89).
— Phillies (@Phillies) July 17, 2015
Drafted seventh overall out of LSU, the 22-year-old righty has risen rapidly through the Phillies organization, and pitched well at each level. After signing with the Phillies, Nola went to single-A Clearwater, where he posted a 3.16 ERA and 0.926 WHIP in 6 starts (2-3 record). He finished out the 2014 season at double-A Reading, where he went 2-0 in 5 starts with a 2.62 ERA.
Nola, who will wear No. 27 for the Phillies, returned to Reading for the start of the 2015 season. And after going 7-3 with a 1.88 ERA in 12 outings, the team promoted Nola to triple-A last month. Since, Nola has posted a 3-1 record to go with a 3.58 ERA in six starts with the IronPigs.
Interestingly enough, the move comes a day after Nola's worst professional start, allowing six runs in three innings as Lehigh Valley lost to Rochester. It also comes less than two months after general manager Ruben Amaro ripped -- and later apologized to -- Phillies fans who anxiously wanted to see guys like Nola promoted to the Phillies since the team isn't going anywhere this season.
At the time, Amaro said that there was a plan in place for bringing their top pitching prospect up to the big club. Now, it appears, that plan has reached its final stages.
