The Philadelphia Phillies are now on the verge of slipping below the .500 mark after a promising start to their 2025 campaign. The team’s struggles have been largely due to offensive inconsistencies and unreliable pitching, both of which have derailed any momentum they built in April.
Aaron Nola, a longtime Phillies starter, has become a major concern for the team—one they cannot afford to have deteriorate so early in the season. While Nola has been a staple in Philadelphia for much of his career, his performance in 2025 has fallen short of expectations. However, there is a silver lining: his winless record is not entirely his fault.
Phillies’ offense needs to take some blame for Aaron Nola’s winless start to 2025
Aaron Nola’s struggles continued as he fell to 0-5 with a 6.43 ERA after his fifth start of the season against the New York Mets earlier this week—a scenario he had never experienced before. There’s no way to sugarcoat the fact that he’s lost every start. With issues like an inability to finish off hitters and allowing six home runs, Nola’s outings have been a painful spectacle for fans.
Reflecting on his rough start, Nola acknowledged his frustration. “It’s frustrating, for sure,” he said, according to MLB.com’s Todd Zolecki. “I’m 0-5 with a [6.43 ERA]. It’s pretty brutal. I’m going to keep working and try to have good weeks leading up to my next starts and prepare the best I can and stay healthy. Keep believing that things can turn around soon, and just go out and compete.”
Despite Nola giving up 20 runs over his first five starts, the Phillies’ offense has been unable to provide much support, scoring only five runs in total during his 28 innings pitched—four of those runs coming in a single game. They’ve been shut out in three of his starts, leaving Nola to shoulder the loss each time.
Nola has struggled to be aggressive with opposing hitters and is still dealing with a slight drop in velocity, possibly due to colder weather. However, the real issue has been the lack of run support, which has been a constant problem this season. In past years, Nola could rely on consistent offense, but this year, the team’s failure to produce has put additional strain on a bullpen already stretched thin. This lack of support from the offense has only added to the frustration, particularly for Nola, who has become the focal point of a struggling rotation.