To say Trea Turner’s start to 2023 was slow would be an understatement. In his first season as a member of the Phillies, Turner has managed to increase his strikeout percentage by 4.1% from the 2022 season. Along similar lines, Turner has also increased his whiff percentage by 4.6%. Before June 1st, Turner’s individual strikeout percentage sat at 24.3% and it was very noticeable. Turner had really been struggling with runners on which certainly extrapolated the Phillies’ awful numbers with runners in scoring position.
For both his contract and career history, Trea was not living up to the expectation.
But, as Phillies fans know, June is a magical month.
One may even say, "It's hittin' season."
June Schwarber, like usual, is a mainstay in the Phillies lineup and was responsible for most of the power during the Phillies’ turnaround last season. While Schwarber has been in some hot water this month, Trea Turner has begun his individual turnaround.
Looking back on Turner’s month of June through the 26th, he has started to pick up the pace in terms of his offensive production. This month, Turner has hit .279 at the plate, significantly better than his .236 average before the first of the month. Over 98 total plate appearances, Trea has added three homers to his stat line along with 21 other hits and 13 RBI. His 13 RBI in June nearly ties his total of 15 before June 1st and more than doubled his stolen bases with eight this month.
Turner’s offensive contributions picked up in June, as well. Over the course of the month, the Phillies have lost only seven games, pending the final series in June when they travel to Chicago to take on the Cubs. Trea’s ability to get on base has gotten exponentially better in June, boasting an on-base percentage (OBP) of .367, compared to just .280 before the start of the month. Equally as important, since June 1st, his K% is down to just 18.4%, beating out the MLB average of 22.1%.
After going on two separate six-game winning streaks this month, things are looking up for the Phillies despite their continued struggles on the mound. Trea Turner has played a significant part in what the Phillies have been able to do in June. If the Phillies can replicate what they did last June, and that is a huge if as they still sit in third place in the NL East, this will be another fun year.