Philadelphia hurler Nola named finalist for NL Cy Young Award

Hurler Aaron Nola made a name for himself in 2018 as a legitimate ace, and the rest of the baseball world took notice. The Baseball Writers' Association of America named him on Monday night as a finalist for the NL Cy Young Award.

Nola, 25, finished with a 2.37 ERA over 33 starts and ranked third in WHIP and innings pitched. He's the first pitcher drafted by the organization to be recognized as a finalist while still wearing Phillies pinstripes.

The other two finalists for the NL Cy Young Award are Max Scherzer of the Nationals and Jacob deGrom of the Mets. The winner will be announced Nov. 14.

deGrom is widely considered to be the favorite, given he finished the year with a 1.70 ERA in 32 starts, though his record was just 10-9. Scherzer also pieced together a spectacular season, leading the league in wins (18), innings (220.2), strikeouts (300), and WHIP (0.911).

The last Phillies pitcher to win the Cy Young Award was Roy Halladay in 2010 after he finished 21-10 with a 2.44 ERA.
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BY PATRICK GORDON
Managing Editor
pgordon@philadelphiabaseballreview.com