CLEARWATER, Fla. - Aaron Nola's fast rise from being the Phillies' first-round pick out of LSU in 2014 to becoming a member of their big-league starting rotation in just over a year was primarily about two things: command and control.
At a young age, Nola had an uncanny ability to not only precisely hit a catcher's target but also maneuver the baseball in the exact way that he desired. So what if he could not throw it 100 miles per hour? Velocity without the ability to navigate is as worthless as a wireless device without a connection.
And as far back as Austin Nola can remember, his younger brother always had the most valuable attributes of a major-league pitcher.