MLB Network continues to release their annual lists ranking the best player at each position “right now,” and unveiled the much-anticipated shortstop countdown Thursday evening, with Philadelphia Phillies shortstop Trea Turner checking in a No. 5.
It’s a dip for Turner from a year ago, when he claimed the top overall spot on the countdown shortly after signing an 11-year/$300 million deal to join the Phillies in free agency. This year, he’s been leapfrogged by Corey Seager of the Texas Rangers, Francisco Lindor of the New York Mets, Xander Bogaerts of the San Diego Padres and Dansby Swanson of the Chicago Cubs.
By this point, the bizarre first season that Turner had offensively for the Phillies is well documented. Turner struggled mightily in the first half of the season, hitting .247 with a .683 OPS. However, an early-August standing ovation from the fans at Citizens Bank Park propelled him to a monster second half, as he slashed .292/.348/.554 with 16 home runs, 44 RBIs and a .902 OPS after the All-Star Break.
In total, Turner’s full-season numbers ended up looking pretty good, as he homered 26 times, drove in 76 runs, posted a .778 OPS and a 3.8 WAR. Turner picked his spots when trying to steal bases, perhaps not going as frequently as some hoped for. However, it’s hard to argue with his results, as he stole 30 bases without being thrown out once.
The problem for Turner on this countdown is his offensive numbers weren’t dominant enough to overcome the worst defensive season of his career. Turner has never been a Jimmy Rollins-caliber defender at shortstop, but he posted 23 errors, -12 defensive runs saved and -4 outs above average in his first season with the Phillies, all the worst marks of his career. Bryson Stott — a natural shortstop — was a Gold Glove finalist at second base, so the Phillies have elected not to flip their two middle infielders in 2024. But Turner’s 2023 campaign does make you wonder how much longer he’ll be able to play shortstop for.
Based off of what happened a year ago, No. 5 is probably a fair ranking for Turner. If anything, it shows that this is currently a Golden Era for shortstops. But over the last three seasons, FanGraphs says that Turner’s 17.1 WAR is the top mark among all shortstops. And if the Phillies get that version of Turner for a full season in 2024, perhaps competing for an NL East title isn’t out of the question.
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