If Turner returns to leadoff roots, selectivity at plate may follow
Todd Zolecki
@ToddZoleckiCLEARWATER, Fla. ¨C Trea Turner often watches videos of past at-bats when he is slumping. He watches the good ones, of course. He wants to see what he was doing at the time. He wants to remember how he was feeling.
Oftentimes, it helps.
He helps his teammates the same way, too. But Turner will also watch old at-bats in the offseason. Not every day. Maybe just three or four times.
¡°My wife will say, ¡®Now I know you¡¯re getting excited to go back and play again because you¡¯re watching baseball,¡¯¡± Turner said Wednesday afternoon at BayCare Ballpark. ¡°I did it recently, the last couple weeks. Now I do it ¡ for my son, just to see if he¡¯ll grasp the situation. But he doesn¡¯t care. Then I end up watching it for myself.
¡°I think I know when I play well, and I know when I don¡¯t. I know what those feelings were, but things change all the time. You¡¯ve got to show up every day and play the hardest sport in the world.¡±
The Phillies and Turner are hoping to be better in 2025. The team wants to win the World Series. It thinks it can improve its chances by making Turner the leadoff hitter, although Phillies manager Rob Thomson said no decision will be made until the end of the spring.
¡°As long as he's got the mindset of getting on base ¨C and I think he does ¨C being in the leadoff spot could help that a little bit,¡± Thomson said. ¡°Because I think Trea's going to hit 20 or 25 home runs no matter what, at least. And if he can get on base at a .380 clip, whatever, score 100 runs ¨C I mean, that's production.¡±
Turner has spent the majority of his two seasons with the Phillies hitting second (234 times), compared to leadoff (38). But Thomson has indicated he might hit Turner first, followed by Bryce Harper, Alec Bohm and Kyle Schwarber.
¡°I think it would be fun, it would be a little different,¡± Turner said. ¡°I haven't done it for a few years now. Kinda get back to a little bit more speed.
¡°You take a few more pitches here or there. For me, I always looked at it as Bryce is hitting behind me, so I'm ready to hit. Obviously, they're coming after me. They don't want to face him. That¡¯s kind of how I¡¯ve always approached the two-hole, just because the three-hole is another great at-bat.
¡°I think when you're leading off, that label kind of puts a little bit of perspective on it, the way pitchers pitch you. Maybe slightly, I don't want to say always. But a couple things change here or there, or situations change here or there.¡±
Turner said it could make him more selective at the plate. He has chased more pitches since he joined the Phillies (34.7 percent regular season), compared to his first eight seasons (27.4 percent).
It has led to uneven play.
Turner batted .347 with a .948 OPS through July 19, a stretch that included a stint on the IL because of an injured hamstring. He chased only 29.3 percent of pitches then. He batted .247 with a .676 OPS the rest of the season, chasing 38.2 percent of the time.
¡°A lot of similarities of just early here in '23,¡± Turner said. ¡°Just a similar thing of trying a little too hard, and wanting to do too much at times, and then it just kinda snowballs and it's not the good, consistent baseball that I want to play, personally.
¡°I've obviously had really good stretches, but it's those down trends that have been really bad. I feel like in the past, that's not the case. Put the ball in play more, take your walks, all those things. Obviously, I know those things, but you're in the box and you've got to do it.¡±
If he does, it¡¯s a good bet the offense flourishes. It¡¯s no coincidence the Phillies got off to a hot start last season with Turner hitting the ball so well.
He is an igniter.
The Phillies have seen it at times the past couple years. They hope to minimize the valleys this year.
¡°He¡¯s just trying to do too much,¡± Thomson said. ¡°Coming to a new city. Sometimes it affects guys. Big contracts, new city, trying to impress the fan base, his teammates, the organization. You¡¯ve just got to be yourself.¡±