The Philadelphia Phillies are now in year three of Trea Turner's 11-year, $300 million contract he signed in the 2022 offseason, and fans are finally seeing the player many knew from Washington or Los Angeles and admired from afar. It was no secret that the 32-year-old struggled within the first year of his tenure in Philly, but since his August 2023 turnaround, he has proven to be the wise "investment" many envisioned him to be.
Turner has shown improvement offensively with each season he's played in a Phillies uniform, with this season being his best yet, reminding everyone just how vital the speedy shortstop is to the team. Heading into Saturday, leading the National League in hits (165) and at-bats (556), Turner's performance at the plate this year has proven to be the offensive spark plug the team has needed, with a slash line of .297/.349/.446, in addition to being tied for second in the NL with 32 stolen bases.
Trea Turner's defense, as well as offense, has proven how important he is to Phillies
However, the most notable change hasn't been offensive. Turner's defense in a Phillies uniform has often been a tough watch, with 2024 arguably being the worst defensive season of his career. However, in just one year, he has gone from one of the lowest-ranking defensive shortstops to one of the best, as noted by Derek Hryn of Heavy.
Trea Turner went from below average to one of MLB's best fielding shortstops in just one year! 👏📊 pic.twitter.com/xxeUydnel7
— MLB Network (@MLBNetwork) August 22, 2025
Turner has gone from being a defensive liability in 2024 to being a reliable, above-average defender with a 95th percentile fielding run value of 11. He has 14 outs above average (OAA), ranking him in the 99th percentile and among the top 10 defenders this year, at any position, not just shortstop. After finishing with -14 defensive runs saved (DRS) last season, the third-worst mark among all players in the majors, he has improved immensely to a league-average 0 DRS.
The number of errors Turner has committed this year has dwindled mightily. With the best fielding percentage (.983) of his career in a full season at shortstop, this defensive resurgence has forced many to shift their view of Turner's defense.
In his first year with the Phillies, he committed 23 errors; last year he committed 17 in 1,018 2/3 innings. This year, Turner has committed just eight errors in 1,154 1/3 innings. The glove work he's done, the stronger first jumps he's been taking, and his better analysis of reading the ball off the bat have allowed him to take form, having one of, if not the best, defensive seasons of his career.
The newfound success has also led to several Phillies fans recognizing something most dread to say: they were wrong. With how successful he has been this season both offensively and defensively, the Philly faithful have begun to defend Turner, especially after this year's All-Star snub, missing the Midsummer Classic in Atlanta.
While Philly has always supported Turner through his struggles, the numbers don't lie, and one could easily argue that Turner is finally rising to the expectations set by the fans in Philadelphia when he joined the team back in 2022.