Okay. This is the guy we thought we were getting when we gave him all that money. Like Harper, it took a solid year for him to get situated in Philly, but Trea Turner is doing exactly what made him one of the best hitters in baseball back in Washington and LA.
The only thing that has managed to stop Turner this year has been a brief injury back in May, but otherwise he's been phenomenal. A .339 average on the year, 35 RBIs, 12 home runs, and only 12 steals but again, he's missed time. Turner's .923 OPS is the highest of any Phillie not named Harper. And he narrowly defeated Mookie Betts to start an All-Star Game this year. Just like we knew he would, Turner's gone on a tear at the plate, and he's become one of the most beloved Phillies on a team with so many great players and great 2024 performances.
The issue with Turner is that he's not as good of a shortstop as he used to be. There was an idea to move him back to 2nd and move Stott to short, but I'm not sure how keen they are at implementing that. It's very clear how much the quality changes at short once Sosa's moved in there. And yes, Alec Bohm isn't a great third baseman either, so like half of your infield is a liability. I've seen Turner make errors at short, and him being an awesome hitter definitely saves that. But this Phillies team has so many 'great hitter, can't defend' types. Schwarber, Castellanos, Bohm, now Turner. People want the Phillies to deal for Rooker, and we really don't need another DH right now. At least Robert and Arozarena can play the field.
But yes, Turner still being a .300+ hitter certainly helps, and having him and Harper in the same lineup, and both surging, is definitely keeping Phillies fans optimistic. I know it's become a little rockier lately because the Pirates series didn't go well, and the A's series didn't go well, but this team still has a ton of momentum, a ton of great assets, and a full rotation. Neither Wheeler nor Suarez needed to go on the IL, and Tyler Phillips managed to slide right into Walker's spot and immediately start pitching like he's been here for years. Wheeler and Suarez ruled the first half, and now that they're slowing down slightly Sanchez, Nola and Phillips are heating up. This is how we conserve the rotation going forward, and I love that we're noticing wear without immediately risking injury.
I think the Phils will continue to be this strong, and the deadline will certainly help. This team has a strong chance of succeeding this fall, and it's gonna require a core that stays hot, and keeps showing up in the big game moments. If Turner can keep doing this, we might be alright.
Coming Tonight: There hasn't been a lot said about the Guardians' rotation this year, but this guy's doing pretty well for himself.
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