The Philadelphia Phillies' biggest free agent signing going into 2023 was star shortstop Trea Turner. Turner has an elite bat, sporting a .296 career batting average while showcasing the ability to pop for over 20 home runs a season. Turner's speed doesn't need to be explained but is a constant reminder how truly special of a ballplayer he is.
Turner had a bumpy start to his Phillies' tenure after becoming the newest $300 million man(subscription required), per Matt Gelb of The Athletic. He hit just .266 in 2023, but post-ovation Turner has re-emerged as the MVP-caliber player the team knew they got when they put pen to paper.
In 2024, Turner cut down on the swing-and-miss and grew more selective at the plate while climbing his way back into All-Star form. He finished the year batting .295 with 21 home runs and 62 RBI across 121 games, with some missed time due to injury. With Turner coming into the year prepared, there is a high chance that he could take home the coveted National League batting title in 2025.
Why Trea Turner will take home the NL batting title in 2025
The MLB batting title is given to the leader in batting average in each league. To finish the year leading the NL in batting average will be another feather in Turner's cap and a statement to the club and the sport that he can still take over the game in his early 30s. It appears that Turner could also be given more of a role at leadoff (subscription required), per Scott Lauber of The Philadelphia Inquirer, giving him more opportunity to jumpstart the offense.
Hey hey it's leadoff Trea pic.twitter.com/I7Lqi1pjNA
— Philadelphia Phillies (@Phillies) March 13, 2025
Turner has taken home the batting title once before in his career, in 2021 as a member of the Washington Nationals and the Los Angeles Dodgers, after being dealt at the trade deadline. His .328 average that year is the second-highest he has finished with in qualifying seasons. The other was the shortened 2020 season when he batted .335 in 59 games.
Turner has turned it around at the plate recently in spring training, with only days until Opening Day. With six hits in his last 22 at-bats (a .272 batting average), he's now batting .171 with one home run and five RBI in 15 games heading into Saturday's action. He has walked eight times in that span (with just four strikeouts) and has 10 walks total this spring, so his vision at the plate looks to be in a much better place. Turner appears to be getting locked in for the regular season.
Turner is a special talent on the baseball field. The combination of speed and power with his athleticism perpetuates tremendous success on the baseball field. Turner may be the second-most important offensive piece behind Harper on the Phillies. His skill set is built to accumulate awards and in the midst of chasing a World Series title, don't be surprised if Turner puts it all together and wins the NL batting title in 2025.
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