As part of the endorsement deal, Nola will wear 3N2 apparel and footwear in a wide range of Major League Baseball (MLB) activities; from practices and workouts, to exhibitions, games, and pre- and post-game media interviews. This will include custom game cleats inspired by the Philadelphia skyline. In addition, Nola will actively market the 3N2 brand via social media and promotional appearances and work with 3N2 research, development, and design teams to help produce new footwear and apparel. Nola’s initial focus will be supporting the launch of 3N2’s much-hyped K-NIT training shoe.
A former first-round pick, Nola showed tremendous promise on the mound for the Phillies in 2017 and is widely considered a MLB breakout candidate in 2018. Numbers suggest Nola’s star is on the rise and may be due for a big season. In his 18 starts to close out last season, Nola totaled a 3.00 ERA, 1.15 WHIP, and 137 strikeouts against 33 walks in 117 innings. His advanced stats were even more impressive, with a strikeout rate of 26.6% (14th in the league), a soft-hit rate of 21.6% (8th best) and a whiff rate (10.8%) that puts him ahead of established stars like Justin Verlander and Carlos Martinez.
3N2’s Director of Player Personnel Buddy Bengel is confident Nola will represent his company well. “Aaron is a tremendous young talent and a terrific human being. We’re always proud when athletes with the ability and character of Aaron choose to embrace the 3N2 brand, and we couldn’t be happier to have him on board.”
As for Nola, choosing 3N2 came down to the company’s focus: “As pro players, we’re fortunate to have our choice of companies to partner with. 3N2 has always been committed to ball and bat sports and to the players that represent their brand. Baseball is what they do, and their cleats and gear are designed specifically with players like me in mind. When it came down to it, I didn’t want to be a part of a lifestyle brand, I wanted to be a part of a baseball brand.”
