No 2: Trea Turner
Trea Turner was the Phillies' big splash last offseason when they signed the three-time All-Star shortstop to an 11-year, $300 million deal. Adding Turner to an already fearsome lineup pushed Phillies fans' expectations through the roof to begin 2023. While Turner ultimately had a good first season in Philadelphia, the first half was certainly a mixed bag.
In a move straight out of the classic WWE narrative playbook, Phillies fans gave the then-scuffling Trea Turner a standing ovation in an attempt to rally his spirits on Aug. 4. From that point forward, Turner found comfort at the plate and simply raked his way through the rest of the season.
In 153 games, Turner batted .266 with 26 home runs, 76 RBI, 30 steals, and 170 hits in 691 plate appearances. The .266 average was the second lowest of his career, and a strikeout rate of 21.7 percent is the highest Turner had recorded since his rookie season in 2015. Turner was scorching hot at the plate from August and into September, so whatever adjustments he made seemed to pay off.
In the field, Turner played 153 games at short, rarely taking a night off. Defense was another area of the game where Turner was inconsistent at times throughout the season. In 568 chances, Turner made 23 errors and recorded a .960 fielding percentage, his worst since a .956 showing during the shortened 2020 season.
Heading into his second full season in a Phillies uniform, Turner will be expected to carry his weight for an entire season. The notoriously tough Phillies fan base did Turner the rare courtesy of trying to make him comfortable in 2023, but 2024 will be a different story. Phillies fans expect Turner to hit the ground running and be the elite talent the Phillies brass felt comfortable giving $300 million last offseason. He'll have to answer the bell to prove he deserves the No. 2 spot in our Phillies infield power rankings.