When the Philadelphia Phillies signed Trea Turner to an 11-year, $300 million contract, the expectation was that they were getting the best shortstop in baseball. A rocky start for Turner led to some worries for the Phillies, but a scheduled standing ovation turned everything around.
He felt at home after the applause, and as a result, he was everything that Philadelphia could've asked for offensively late in the year.
As he enters the 2024 season, Turner knows what to expect now.
The two-time All-Star and 2019 World Series champion is ready for a full season of being the best shortstop in the game.
Paul Casella of MLB.com had the latest on how Turner feels heading into the season.
"I feel like I learned a lot last year and I've kind of carried that over to my work now, and it just feels good."
A full year of Turner playing up to what his ceiling is would be a big help for the Phillies.
Part of the reason why they struggled early on and couldn't catch the Atlanta Braves in the NL East standings was because of Turner's slow start. There were other factors, but Turner playing the way he did wasn't any help.
It isn't easy playing in Philadelphia either.
Fans expect the most out of their players and if they don't perform, they typically let them know. Similar to New York, Boston, and other big market cities that love their teams, there's massive amounts of pressure to play well.
Instead of putting Turner down even more, Phillies fans tried a new approach, a surprising one to outsiders.
It isn't every day that Philadelphia fans are cheering for a struggling player.
Hopefully, that's the last time they'll need to use that approach.
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