When the Philadelphia Phillies handed out a massive 11-year, $300 million contract to Trea Turner last offseason, there were a lot of expectations placed on him and the team.
Coming off a World Series appearance, the superstar shortstop was seen as the potential missing piece to their lineup that could secure the franchise's first championship since 2008.
A red-hot performance at the World Baseball Classic to start 2023 made Phillies fans and the organization that much more excited to see what he could do for their team.
However, things didn't quite go as planned for Turner.
Through 108 games he had a slash line of .236/.289/.367. That was not close to the production he had done at the plate previously in his career.
It seemed like his first year in Philadelphia would end in disaster for the prized free agent signing, but a torrid close to the year following a standing ovation from the home crowd to show support, pushed him into a much more palatable .266/.320/.459 slash line.
Turner's good close to the season is why Thomas Harrigan of MLB.com is picking him as one of the players who could have a 'rebound' type of year in 2024.
He notes the final 47 game stretch the star shortstop put together is a reason why after he had a batting average of .339 with 16 homers, 41 RBIs and a 1.069 OPS, easily the best stretch he had since joining the Phillies.
Entering his second year in Philadelphia, Turner could be much more acclimated to the organization, the clubhouse and his teammates, which should help his production.
That was the case for Nick Castellanos in 2023 when he increased his home run numbers from 13 to 29 and his runs driven in by 44. The slugging outfielder was also selected to his second All-Star game and was the Phillies' best hitter for the early part of the year.
If Turner has that type of rebound, this lineup should be one of the best in baseball.
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