Philadelphia Phillies shortstop Trea Turner. Bill Streicher-Imagn Images

The under-the-radar NL MVP case you should know about

By Lauren Amour | Last updated Sep 4, 2025 2:57 PM ET

Philadelphia Phillies shortstop Trea Turner has had his fair share of struggles since signing an 11-year, $300M contract with the club in December 2022.

His first half with the Phillies in 2023 resulted in a .247/.299/.389 slash line, 10 home runs and 32 RBI across 88 games, which isn't awful, but was a far cry from what Philadelphia expected from the 2021 batting champion.

Trea Turner is proving his worth

Two years removed from a disappointing first year with the Phillies, Turner is now displaying why the team chose to lock him up long-term during free agency.

As of Thursday, the 32-year-old leads the National League in several categories, including batting average (.301), hits (174) and stolen bases (tied with Pittsburgh Pirates' Oneil Cruz with 36). Consider that with his 31 doubles, seven triples, 14 home runs, 68 RBI and 48 multi-hit games, and you've got yourself a decent case for NL MVP.

Trea Turner is on pace to have the Phillies' first 200-hit season since Jimmy Rollins in 2007!#MLBCentral | #RingTheBell pic.twitter.com/UM7RW92Xc0
— MLB Network (@MLBNetwork) September 2, 2025

While Turner's teammate Kyle Schwarber has earned MVP consideration as well with his league-leading 49 home runs and MLB-best 119 RBI, Turner has arguably had the better all-around season.

Per FanGraphs, he's accumulated 6.4 fWAR as well as a 123 wRC+, .350 wOBA and 120 OPS+. Meanwhile, Schwarber is worth 4.3 fWAR with a 154 wRC+, .396 wOBA and 152 OPS+. He also ranks in the 100th percentile in hard-hit percentage, according to Statcast.

Where Trea Turner outshines Kyle Schwarber

The main advantage that Turner has over Schwarber, though, is that he plays the field. Schwarber has been relegated to permanent designated hitter duties except for an appearance in left field now and then.

Pockets of baseball fans will still argue that a primary DH doesn't deserve an MVP award. However, those arguments were essentially put to bed with Shohei Ohtani, who didn't pitch last season and rightfully still earned the honor with his outstanding offensive performance.

Ohtani returned to the mound this season and is once again the favorite for the award, which would be his third MVP in a row and fourth overall for his career. That said, Schwarber and Turner have each made compelling cases of their own and are likely to receive some first-place votes.

Lauren Amour

Lauren Amour is a writer and editor based in the Greater Philadelphia area. She works as an editor and writer at Yardbarker, covering MLB and the Philadelphia Phillies.

More must-reads: