Key Phillies Slugger Heating Up Is an Encouraging Sign

Jun 12, 2026; Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA; Philadelphia Phillies hat on the field during batting practice before a game against the Milwaukee Brewers at American Family Field. IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Key Phillies Slugger Heating Up Is an Encouraging Sign

Originally posted on Philadelphia Phillies on SI
By Nick Ziegler | Last updated Jul 2, 2026 10:00 AM ET

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The Philadelphia Phillies have been playing excellent of late, and as the summer has started to heat up, so too has the team.

After a bad start to the campaign, the Phillies have been able to put that in the rearview mirror. Philadelphia has been storming up the standings in the National League, and the team is showing no signs of slowing down.

Despite being 10 games under the .500 mark in April, the Phillies are now 11 games over .500 and quickly chasing the Braves. On Thursday, they are just 2.5 games behind Atlanta, and this is going to be an exciting race to watch this summer.

As the trade deadline approaches, the team will certainly be looking to make some upgrades to a couple of key areas. One spot that has been talked about quite a bit has been their lineup. Two of the three outfield spots have been a mess, and with some struggles in other areas at times, this batting order has looked short at times.

One of the players who has struggled has been Trea Turner. The former All-Star shortstop is expected to be a key part of the team, but has not been living up to expectations for the most part. However, a recent stretch has been really encouraging to see, and the Phillies might be seeing their shortstop start to get going.

Turner Heating Up

Despite the overall numbers not looking good, Turner has been heating up of late. Over the last seven days, he has slashed .344/.364/.688 with three home runs and eight RBI. Furthermore, going out a little further, the numbers are also good. In the last 15 days, he has slashed .350/.381/.567 with three home runs and 10 RBI.

With the need for a right-handed hitter seemingly being paramount before the trade deadline, an improved Turner could be exactly what the Phillies are looking for. Over the course of his career, he has been a very productive player, and there is a reason Philadelphia has locked him up to such a big contract.

Now, while the 15-day sample size is substantial, there is still a lot of the season to go to turn things around. If Turner can be the player that the team is expecting him to be, it will lessen the need for the Phillies to have to make a major splash at the deadline to improve their lineup.