Phillies Facing Troubling Trea Turner Development Amid MLB Season

While he still remained a considerably above-average player from 2023-2025, 2026 has been a different story. The 32-year-old, surehanded at short during the 2025 season, has struggled this season. 

Turner’s six errors are tied for fifth most at the shortstop position this season with Boston’s Trevor Story and Pittsburgh’s Konnor Griffin.

Cole Weintraub, a reporter for NBC Sports Philadelphia, pointed out this trend in a recent post on X. “Trea Turner commits his sixth error of the year in his 51st game. He had just eight in 139 games last year — and was in the top one percent of fielders with 17 outs above average. This is the ‘23 and ‘24 version, where he struggled mightily with the glove.”

Turner’s -1 outs above average this season ranks 16th among those at the position. His -3 defensive runs saved ranks 19th.

In the first couple years of the contract, Turner was able to mask his poor defense by hitting very well for the standards of the position. However, this year has proved to be a drag.

Turner has appeared in 54 games, batting just .225 with a .279 on-base percentage and .626 OPS. He has only 6 home runs and 17 RBIs.

If Turner was playing defense at his 2025 caliber, these hitting numbers would be less important. If he was hitting to his career standards, these defensive numbers would be less important. It’s the fact that he’s been below average in both that is making him all the less valuable this season.

The Phillies are in a groove right now, but if Trea Turner can’t pick it up soon it would be easy for them to revert back into that 9-19 form from early in the season.