Look, the Philadelphia Phillies are finally heating up in August, gaining ground on the Atlanta Braves and pulling away in the NL Wild Card race. But even with all that good news, one of their big names, Trea Turner, just got slammed as one of MLB’s “biggest disappointments” this season by Kerry Miller over at Bleacher Report. And honestly, it is tough to argue with it right now.
The Bat Has Just Gone Silent
Forget the 17 homers and 17 stolen bases for a second, because Miller’s not wrong: Turner is nowhere near the consistent hitter we know he can be. In 125 games, through 514 at-bats , the most in the National League , he is batting a measly .247 with a .300 on-base percentage and a .693 OPS. That’s an 84 OPS+, his absolute worst since his 27-game rookie stint back in 2015. This is the same guy who pulled a 2.8 bWAR in his “worst” Phillies season in 2024, when he was an All-Star! This year? A pathetic 0.2 bWAR.
Defense Is a Disaster
And if the bat was not bad enough, his defense has completely fallen off a cliff. After showing off a great glove in 2025, Turner is now one of the worst defensive shortstops in 2026. Think about this: 19 errors this season, compared to just eight last year. His Defensive Runs Saved? It swung from a positive two in 2025 all the way down to a brutal minus-13 just one year later. That is not just a dip, that is a freefall.
This is all happening in year four of his eye-watering $300 million, 11-year deal that runs through 2033. If this is the production in year four, before he is even halfway through it, Phillies fans have every right to be worried about the future of this contract. There is talk a position change, maybe to the outfield or second base, could help long term. But for now, they are keeping him at shortstop, just hoping he can turn it around for their 2026 postseason run. Speaking of turning things around, our own Cal Raleigh is on track for a bit of unwanted history himself, possibly hitting the fewest home runs after a 60+ homer season in MLB history. Man, baseball can be wild, huh?
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by The Sporting News.
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