On Friday afternoon, the Philadelphia Phillies announced that right-hander Aaron Nola will require a stint on the injured list as he deals with an ankle sprain that he suffered while working out on the club’s road trip in Cleveland.
With the unfortunate Nola news comes a glimmer of excitement as the club has announced that No. 8 prospect Mick Abel will make his big-league debut on Sunday, per MLB.com’s Todd Zolecki. The young right-hander draws an unlucky card as he is set to match up against, perhaps, the best pitcher in the National League with the Phillies playing the Pittsburgh Pirates this weekend.
Phillies rookie Mick Abel handed an impossible task facing Paul Skenes in MLB debut
Abel will draw the start against the reigning NL Rookie of the Year and 2024 All-Star Paul Skenes. The Pirates’ ace was the first overall pick in the 2023 MLB draft, and he has lived up to the hype.
Abel, who was once a highly touted prospect himself, dropped in the organization’s rankings due to a down year in 2024. The main reason for the 23-year-old’s struggles stemmed from his inability to command his pitches.
In 2024, Abel had a BB/9 rate of 6.46. Surrendering that many free passes will come back to bite any pitcher.
After beginning the season with Triple-A Lehigh Valley, the Phillies’ 2020 first-round pick has shown that he may have found something. Through 46 1/3 innings, the right-hander is boasting a 2.53 ERA. He has also struck out 51 opposing hitters in that span.
Even more importantly, Abel has walked considerably fewer batters in 2025. His walk rate has been almost cut in half, standing at 3.69 BB/9. That is a number he will still look to lower, but it is trending in the right direction.
While the opposing pitcher may be daunting, Pittsburgh’s offense is not much to be fearful about. Their .219 team batting average ranks fourth lowest in baseball and their .628 OPS ranks second worst in baseball.
If Abel can command his arsenal, he has a chance to shut down a below-average offense. He does not need to put together ace-like numbers similar to his matchup counterpart in Skenes on Sunday to impress, but the Phillies sure would take another young arm that can make an immediate impact in terms of starting pitching depth.
Abel’s potential turnaround would be a welcomed sight for the Phillies and their fans. Expectations may not be as high as they are for Andrew Painter, however, a solid outing in this spot start before returning to Triple-A would go a long way in instilling confidence in himself and the organization alike.
