5 Phillies that need to step up for the ballclub to stand a chance in 2023

Trea Turner

For the case of Trea Turner, unfortunately he had been the main scapegoat for much of the season for the Phillies. After signing a massive 11-year, $300 million contract this past offseason with the ballclub, many were expecting big things from Turner, since he was now being paid like one of the top ten players in all of baseball. However, once the season started, things sure haven’t turned out the way people and Turner himself expected.

For the 2023 season, Turner has produced some disappointing numbers across the board, as he has hit just .238 with an OPS of .668, 61 runs scored, 11 home runs, 39 RBI and 21 stolen bases. Those are actually quite solid production numbers, but because he was expected to post superstar-type numbers, it left a lot to be desired. His struggles all year long have become evident, so much that he has been dropped down in the batting order recently as well.

However, despite his major slump, he still gracefully thanked the Phillies’ faithful recently with a wonderful gesture on the billboards throughout Citizens Bank Park for supporting him and sticking through the harsh times with him, with the fans ending up cheering him with a standing ovation with every at-bat as a result. In doing so, he had a solid past weekend by going 4-for-12 with two doubles, one home run and five RBI. The Phillies will definitely need prime Turner come playoff time, so hopefully this was a start of an incredible run down the stretch for the two-time All-Star.