Philadelphia Phillies crafty veteran right-hander Aaron Nola has made a strong turnaround in his last 10 starts. He's shown a resurgence from his first 19 starts, where he struggled with a 5.75 ERA prior to the All-Star break. 

The 33-year-old has bounced back during the second half of the season, posting a 2.10 ERA, and has been a reliable force during a dominant stretch of success. His resurgence has made him a key arm in the team's postseason push, alongside Zack Wheeler, Cristopher Sanchez and Jesus Luzardo. 

While the Phillies' rotation has taken a major hit with Luzardo sidelined during a pivotal stretch, he is expected to return from the injury list during the postseason. But Nola stepping up his performance late in the season and showing reliability and efficiency can help make up for Luzardo being out of the picture temporarily.

Nola has helped to boost the team's playoff hopes and, according to Kenneth Teape of Sports Illustrated, the Phillies should have ''confidence'' in their veteran's second-half surge for the upcoming postseason. 

''Losing Luzardo at this point in the season to the injured list is a massive blow, but Nola’s current level of production has to provide some confidence that the team can still make some noise down the stretch and in the postseason," Teape wrote.

The Phillies are getting the best version of Aaron Nola at the best time

Nola has also shown consistency, as the most runs he's given up during his dominant stretch has been three. That start was on Aug. 3 in the team's 6-3 loss to the Washington Nationals. But across his other nine starts, he's been an efficient workhorse, giving up two or less earned runs. In addition, across six starts of those starts, he's pitched six or more innings, showcasing his resurgence. 

After a troublesome first half of the season where his ERA inflated to a season-high 6.04 on June 29, Nola has rewritten the narrative and had a revival, solidifying his status as a trusted postseason starter. 

His performance on Sept. 17 was one of his many late-season gems. He provided seven scoreless innings against the New York Mets, flirting with a no-hitter into the sixth inning. 

Earlier this season, the conversation surrounding him pitching in the playoff rotation was based around his continuous struggles dating back to 2025. But Nola has shown that, when healthy, he can be a serious threat, which has helped provide the team with optimism ahead of its postseason run.