Mets fans are crying because Phillies' Trea Turner is an All-Star
Trea Turner earned the start at the All-Star Game as the NL starting shortstop and division rivals are left to grumble over the decision.
Trea Turner has been fantastic and everything the Philadelphia Phillies hoped they were getting when he signed an 11-year deal. Last season was rough, and a bounceback was needed. Turner has certainly done that and more in 2024.
Turner was off to a hot start this season until a scoring play at home in early May led to a six week trip to the injured list with a strained hamstring. Turner returned from the IL in mid-June and shook off the rust fairly easily.
Looking to complete the sweep, Trea Turner and the @Phillies waste no time jumping ahead 👀 pic.twitter.com/Q1Lij5pRZ3
— MLB (@MLB) July 11, 2024
Mets fans are crying because Phillies' Trea Turner is an All-Star
Even with the substantial time missed, Turner has undeniably been a difference-maker. During All-Star voting time, he was voted as the starter at shortstop (subscription required). Once the reserves were announced, Mets fans came crying after finding out that shortstop Francisco Lindor had been left off the roster, per Kevin Kinkead of Crossing Broad.
Lindor has been good, but not great for the New York Mets. The shortstop, like Turner, signed a massive deal but has struggled to meet expectations of his contract as a Met, posting a .253/.331/.446 slash line in 539 games. A .777 OPS isn't exactly what you would expect from your $34.1 million-a-year shortstop. To Lindor's credit, he's averaged 28 home runs and 95 runs batted in during that same time.
The debate really stops there for All-Star candidacy. Even with Turner missing 38 games with a hamstring injury, the numbers still don't favor Lindor.
Stat | Trea Turner | Francisco Lindor |
|---|---|---|
AB | 238 | 383 |
H | 83 | 97 |
R | 49 | 63 |
HR | 11 | 17 |
RBI | 32 | 52 |
BA | .349 | .253 |
OBP | .395 | .329 |
SLG | .546 | .454 |
OPS | .941 | .783 |
The amount of games might seem like an issue when getting represented at the All-Star Game and sure, you have to be able to play the games to get there. What Mets fans have a hard time accepting is that MLB fans voted that a lessened portion of Turner was better than anything that Lindor could do this season.
Lindor has failed to make an All-Star team since getting traded to New York in January 2021. There may have been times that Lindor was wrongfully left off an All-Star roster, but his inability to replicate his early career success has hurt his value for another year and another missed All-Star Game — this one thanks to Trea Turner.
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