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Phillies’ Trea Turner Makes the Wrong Kind of MLB History

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Jake Elman | Last updated Sep 29, 2025 9:18 AM ET

Philadelphia Phillies shortstop Trea Turner won his second career National League batting title, albeit with a caveat that should have Major League Baseball extremely concerned.

Turner went 0-for-2 on Sunday, finishing with a solid .304 average. However, that marks the lowest for a National League batting champion, easily clearing San Diego Padres legend Tony Gwynn’s .313 average in 1988.

Boston Red Sox Hall of Fame slugger Carl Yastrzemski still holds the record for the lowest average of a batting champion. Yastrzemski hit .301 in 1968, the famous Year of the Pitcher.

At least Yastrzemski can say his feat came in a time when the leaguewide average team ERA was a sterling 2.98. Teams averaged a 4.15 ERA this season, up from 4.07 in 2024.

“Everyone throws 100 [mph],” Turner said Sunday. “Everyone has six pitches. Nobody knows where the ball’s going. Defenses are way better than they’ve ever been.”

More concerningly, Turner easily won the batting title as the National League’s only qualified .300 hitter, which in itself is a frightening feat. He’s the first Phillies player to lead the NL in hitting since Hall of Fame outfielder Richie Ashburn posted a .350 average in 1958.

New York Yankees superstar Aaron Judge hit a league-best .331, and only seven qualified hitters finished with at least a .300 average. That matches last year and should be a major red flag for the league moving forward.

Judge is the only player to hit .300 in the last two seasons. Kansas City Royals shortstop Bobby Witt Jr., whose .332 average led baseball a year ago, closed at .295.

This article first appeared on Athlon Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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