The angle he throws from is unusual, and hitters notice
Nola releases the ball from a sidearm slot, about 20 degrees above horizontal and 1.7 feet to the third-base side of the rubber.
814 tracked release points, averaging 5.0 feet off the ground.
One type of hitter does all the damage against him
Hitters do their damage on his fastballs: a .412 expected average against them, against .228 on his offspeed pitches.
449 of his fastballs thrown.
One pitch of his runs sideways more than almost anyone's
Nola's sinker moves 17.4 inches toward the third-base side, the biggest horizontal move in his arsenal.
150 thrown, averaging 91.1 mph.
There is one pitch of his that keeps getting hit
Contact off Nola's 4-seam fastball leaves the bat at 94.1 mph, against 81.2 off his knuckle curve.
226 and 258 of them thrown.
He works one part of the zone far more than the rest
Nola lives at the bottom of the zone: his average pitch crosses at 2.03 feet, against a zone that runs 1.5 to 3.5.
814 located pitches in 2026.
He pitches differently depending on which hand is up
Nola puts 42.9% of his pitches to right-handers in the zone and 35.5% of his pitches to left-handers.
315 pitches to right-handed hitters, 499 to left-handed hitters.
He gets by without much velocity, and it costs him
Nola averages 86.1 mph across his arsenal, 11th percentile in the league.
814 pitches in 2026. 11th percentile among qualified pitchers in 2026, 480th in MLB.
He cannot find the zone often enough
Nola works off the plate, with only 38.3% of his pitches in the zone, 12th percentile.
814 pitches in 2026. 12th percentile among qualified pitchers in 2026, 471st in MLB.
This is the pitch he goes to when he needs the out
With two strikes Nola goes to the knuckle curve: 41.2% of his two-strike pitches, against 27.9% the rest of the time.
233 two-strike pitches in 2026.
One pitch of his moves in a way hitters rarely see
Nola's 4-seam fastball carries 14.2 inches of ride against a spinless ball, the biggest vertical move in his arsenal.
226 thrown, averaging 92.0 mph.
How much of the zone he uses depends on the count
Nola puts 56.6% of his pitches in the zone when he is behind and 32.5% when he is ahead.
226 located pitches behind, 228 ahead.
The gap between his pitches is what makes them work
13.8 mph separates Nola's 4-seam fastball from his knuckle curve, 92.0 against 78.3.
226 and 258 of them respectively.
His velocity drains away as the outing goes on
Nola's fastball averages 91.4 mph in his first 25 pitches of a start and 90.2 past his 75th.
134 early fastballs, 81 late ones.
He throws strikes to one type of hitter and not the other
Nola lands 46.3% of his fastballs in the zone and only 28.3% of his breaking balls.
449 of his fastballs, 258 of his breaking balls.
His pitches move in ways that fit together
Nola works with 5 pitches: Knuckle Curve, 4-Seam Fastball, Sinker and Changeup, and a little else. The knuckle curve is 31.7% of everything he throws.
814 classified pitches in 2026.
The contact he allows is the kind that finds grass
The quality of contact against Nola projects a .355 average, 24th percentile.
814 pitches in 2026. 24th percentile among qualified pitchers in 2026, 407th in MLB.
He gets so far down the mound the ball arrives early
Nola releases the ball 6.9 feet down the mound, so the ball arrives sooner than the radar gun suggests.
566 tracked pitches in 2026.
His fastball is the pitch everything else is built on
Nola's 4-seam fastball averages 92.0 mph, and has touched 94.6.
226 thrown, 27.8% of his pitches.
He lives on the edges rather than over the middle
17.1% of Nola's pitches land in the middle third of the zone, well below what most pitchers give away.
139 of 814 located pitches.
He gets ahead early and pitches from in front all night
Nola throws a strike on the first pitch 63.4% of the time.
202 plate appearances started in 2026.
One pitch of his spins more than almost anyone's
Nola's knuckle curve spins at 2,606 rpm, the highest in his arsenal.
258 thrown in 2026.
He saves one pitch for one side of the plate
Nola throws the changeup 18.4% of the time against left-handers and 4.8% against right-handers.
315 pitches to right-handers, 499 to left-handers.
Even behind in the count he keeps hitters guessing
Behind in the count Nola throws a fastball 52.2% of the time, against 57.5% when he is ahead.
226 pitches behind in the count, 228 ahead.
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The numbers behind these live in Pitch Data.
Take me there
The angle he throws from is unusual, and hitters notice
Nola releases the ball from a sidearm slot, about 20 degrees above horizontal and 1.7 feet to the third-base side of the rubber.
814 tracked release points, averaging 5.0 feet off the ground.
His velocity drains away as the outing goes on
Nola's fastball averages 91.4 mph in his first 25 pitches of a start and 90.2 past his 75th.
134 early fastballs, 81 late ones.
He gets so far down the mound the ball arrives early
Nola releases the ball 6.9 feet down the mound, so the ball arrives sooner than the radar gun suggests.
566 tracked pitches in 2026.
The numbers behind these live in Pitch Data.
Take me there
One type of hitter does all the damage against him
Hitters do their damage on his fastballs: a .412 expected average against them, against .228 on his offspeed pitches.
449 of his fastballs thrown.
He throws strikes to one type of hitter and not the other
Nola lands 46.3% of his fastballs in the zone and only 28.3% of his breaking balls.
449 of his fastballs, 258 of his breaking balls.
The numbers behind these live in Pitch Data.
Take me there
One pitch of his runs sideways more than almost anyone's
Nola's sinker moves 17.4 inches toward the third-base side, the biggest horizontal move in his arsenal.
150 thrown, averaging 91.1 mph.
One pitch of his moves in a way hitters rarely see
Nola's 4-seam fastball carries 14.2 inches of ride against a spinless ball, the biggest vertical move in his arsenal.
226 thrown, averaging 92.0 mph.
The numbers behind these live in Pitch Data.
Take me there
There is one pitch of his that keeps getting hit
Contact off Nola's 4-seam fastball leaves the bat at 94.1 mph, against 81.2 off his knuckle curve.
226 and 258 of them thrown.
The gap between his pitches is what makes them work
13.8 mph separates Nola's 4-seam fastball from his knuckle curve, 92.0 against 78.3.
226 and 258 of them respectively.
His pitches move in ways that fit together
Nola works with 5 pitches: Knuckle Curve, 4-Seam Fastball, Sinker and Changeup, and a little else. The knuckle curve is 31.7% of everything he throws.
814 classified pitches in 2026.
His fastball is the pitch everything else is built on
Nola's 4-seam fastball averages 92.0 mph, and has touched 94.6.
226 thrown, 27.8% of his pitches.
One pitch of his spins more than almost anyone's
Nola's knuckle curve spins at 2,606 rpm, the highest in his arsenal.
258 thrown in 2026.
He saves one pitch for one side of the plate
Nola throws the changeup 18.4% of the time against left-handers and 4.8% against right-handers.
315 pitches to right-handers, 499 to left-handers.
The numbers behind these live in Pitch Data.
Take me there
He works one part of the zone far more than the rest
Nola lives at the bottom of the zone: his average pitch crosses at 2.03 feet, against a zone that runs 1.5 to 3.5.
814 located pitches in 2026.
He lives on the edges rather than over the middle
17.1% of Nola's pitches land in the middle third of the zone, well below what most pitchers give away.
139 of 814 located pitches.
The numbers behind these live in Matchups.
Take me there
He pitches differently depending on which hand is up
Nola puts 42.9% of his pitches to right-handers in the zone and 35.5% of his pitches to left-handers.
315 pitches to right-handed hitters, 499 to left-handed hitters.
The numbers behind these live in Pitch Data.
Take me there
He gets by without much velocity, and it costs him
Nola averages 86.1 mph across his arsenal, 11th percentile in the league.
814 pitches in 2026. 11th percentile among qualified pitchers in 2026, 480th in MLB.
The numbers behind these live in Pitch Data.
Take me there
He cannot find the zone often enough
Nola works off the plate, with only 38.3% of his pitches in the zone, 12th percentile.
814 pitches in 2026. 12th percentile among qualified pitchers in 2026, 471st in MLB.
The numbers behind these live in Pitch Data.
Take me there
This is the pitch he goes to when he needs the out
With two strikes Nola goes to the knuckle curve: 41.2% of his two-strike pitches, against 27.9% the rest of the time.
233 two-strike pitches in 2026.
How much of the zone he uses depends on the count
Nola puts 56.6% of his pitches in the zone when he is behind and 32.5% when he is ahead.
226 located pitches behind, 228 ahead.
He gets ahead early and pitches from in front all night
Nola throws a strike on the first pitch 63.4% of the time.
202 plate appearances started in 2026.
Even behind in the count he keeps hitters guessing
Behind in the count Nola throws a fastball 52.2% of the time, against 57.5% when he is ahead.
226 pitches behind in the count, 228 ahead.
The numbers behind these live in Spray Chart.
Take me there
The contact he allows is the kind that finds grass
The quality of contact against Nola projects a .355 average, 24th percentile.
814 pitches in 2026. 24th percentile among qualified pitchers in 2026, 407th in MLB.
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