Welcome back to our Digging In notebook, where numbers — and the stories they tell — are king. You know who pitches like a king? Aaron Nola. Today, we dive into three things he does better than any pitcher in baseball.



Slugging percentage against fastballs



Let’s ease into this. No pitcher has allowed a lower slugging percentage this season on fastballs than Aaron Nola (.265). That mark is 48 points better than the next best pitcher. That’s an impressive feat, and sets the table for the other two things Nola does better than every other pitcher. Let’s dig deeper into why he leads the league in this category, and why he’s been so successful in 2018.



Facing batters multiple times in a game



As bullpen use increases and less is expected from starting pitchers, the few who can eat innings and give the ‘pen a rest with no drop in production become luxuries. The Phillies have one in Nola. Only six starters have faced...