2) Blame Phillies shortstop Trea Turner for falling so far behind the Braves
Kyle Schwarber was one of the big bats the Phillies signed ahead of the 2022 season. They went even further when they signed Trea Turner this past winter. An easy fit for the Phillies and someone everybody should’ve wanted, he has fallen well short of expectations.
Turner is hitting .243/.288/.383 through his first 236 plate appearances. A clutch home run last week helped breathe some life into his stagnant bat. He’s still well below what he needs to be. The Phillies need Turner to hit around .300, contend for the league lead in stolen bases, and create the kind of havoc many of his teammates are incapable of.
Turner got the biggest contract from the Phillies this winter and anything that goes wrong does fall on him. He’s not a complimentary piece. He should be equal to Bryce Harper on this roster. Instead, Turner has blended in alongside players like Alec Bohm and Bryson Stott who helped carry the team early on.
When the Phillies signed Turner, it should have given them a lineup capable of keeping up with the Braves. He hasn’t been able to kick it into high gear. Fortunately, the positive spin to this is he’s “due” for a breakout. Maybe his mom needs to boo him a little more often.