Aaron Nola in 2021 posted an ERA of 4.63, ranking 20th out of the 22 National League pitchers who qualified for the league lead in that category. But his figure for Fielding Independent Pitching (FIP), a figure similar to ERA that focuses solely on the events a pitcher has control over — strikeouts, unintentional walks, hit-by-pitches, and home runs — was over a run lower, and was 10th-best in the league. The gap between the two numbers suggests that bad luck and the Phillies' poor defense were factors in Nola's subpar year.