Amidst their pursuit of a coveted wild card spot in the National League, the Phillies find themselves scrutinizing the lackluster performance of their high-priced addition, Trea Turner. This scrutiny has intensified following a recent blunder that led to a heartbreaking defeat against the Marlins on Wednesday night.
Initially holding a commanding 5-0 lead, the Phillies watched helplessly as it slipped away, culminating in a blown multi-run advantage during the 10th inning. Despite the setback, they still had an opportunity to close out the Marlins in the bottom of the 11th inning, but Turner’s error granted Miami a renewed lease on life.
With only two outs remaining, Josh Bell’s ground ball seemed destined to end the game, but Turner, inexplicably, allowed it to pass through to the outfield. Attempting to field the ball, Turner took four steps and knelt down, but the ball eluded his glove, permitting the Marlins to tie the game.
Acknowledging the difficulty of the play, considering it came off the bat at an astounding 107.2 MPH and was officially ruled as a hit, Turner’s defensive prowess seemed diminished compared to his pre-2023 performances.
Compounding the night’s misfortune, Turner had an off-night at the plate, going 0-for-5 with only a solitary walk. While he managed to cross home plate twice, the Phillies are still waiting for the former All-Star to regain his hitting form.
Taking full responsibility for his role in the defeat, Trea Turner candidly addressed reporters, stating, “Obviously, I’m the reason why we lost that game.”
Back in December, Philadelphia made a bold move by signing Turner to an extravagant 11-year, $300 million contract, impressed by his impressive statistics of more than 20 home runs and 190 hits in consecutive seasons. However, through 106 games with the Phillies, Turner’s batting average sits at a modest .237, accompanied by 10 home runs and a lackluster .661 OPS. This stands in stark contrast to his previous full seasons, where he consistently boasted an on-base percentage (OBP) north of .335. Unfortunately, in 2023, Turner’s OBP has plummeted to .291.
In preparation for Wednesday’s game, Turner’s 1.3 fWAR placed him 19th out of 31 shortstops with at least 250 plate appearances. Surprisingly, more affordable players like Geraldo Perdomo, Orlando Arcia, Jon Berti, and CJ Abrams outperformed him.
With five teams jostling within a mere two-game range in the NL wild card race, the sting of Wednesday night’s dramatic loss may linger in the Phillies’ minds come October. If Philadelphia aims to establish its supremacy in the league, Turner must promptly rediscover his peak performance.
Leave a Reply
You must be logged in to post a comment.