The Philadelphia Phillies are in a prime position to not only make the playoffs in the second half of the season, but also catch the Atlanta Braves in the NL East. Consistency has not been a strong suit for this Phillies team, but they’ve gotten enough high-level performances out of their top horses to win games. However, not every high-priced player has been living up to their paycheck this season, as is the case with Phillies shortstop Trea Turner.
Turner is no stranger to having to weather struggles in Philadelphia; there is a Netflix documentary dealing with his struggles in the 2023 season. Turner bounced back in a big way last season, winning the batting title for the NL and improving on his defense.
Now in 2026, Turner finds himself once again having to dig himself out of a sizable slump, and he’s opening up now about how he’s dealing with it this season.
Taking Accountability
Trea Turner’s rollercoaster season could not be better represented than his performance on Monday against the Los Angeles Dodgers. In a 10-7 Phillies victory, Turner went 3 for 5 with two home runs, a double, and five RBI. Looking at that statline without context, one would think Turner was the hero of the game, but three misplays in the field from Turner helped keep the Dodgers hanging around.
Turner knows that this season hasn’t played out in an ideal manner, and this past weekend Turner opened up about his struggles at the plate and in the field this season. Jim Salisbury of NBC Sports Philadelphia, in his July 18 article, wrote about Turner and how he discussed being pitched tough in the first half, and how he’s not a pretty player.
“But it doesn’t matter,” Turner said. “It’s all about production. I’m not the prettiest player. I don’t do everything perfect. I just find a way to help the team. It might be a swinging bunt. It might be chasing a ball off the plate and hitting a double down the right field line. Who knows. I feel like when I try to be perfect, it sets me back. I just have to be who I am.”
Turner is aware that things can look rough at times with his game, but over the last month, Turner has been turning it around at the plate. Over his last 27 games, Turner is hitting .324 (36 for 111) with seven homers and 19 RBIs. He also has an on-base percentage over that span is .360. His defense, on the other hand, is still a work in progress.
Fixing His Defense
With Trea Turner turning around his offense, his next focus will be to help turn around his defense, which, after a career-best year at shortstop in 2025, has fallen off a cliff this season.
On the year, Turner has 15 errors, with nine of them occurring in the last week, and more errors possible if not for some hometown cooking by the Phillies scorekeeper.
Matt Gelb of The Athletic, in his July 19 article, wrote about Turner searching for answers on how to fix his defense.
“People outside of here are always going to say things or do things or whatever,” Turner said. “It’s finding a way in here to fix things or find answers. That’s what I’m focused on. I don’t really care what anybody outside of here says.”
Turner has been working closely with Phillies infield coach Bobby Dickerson to help find some answers on why his defense has been lacking. Dickerson believes Turner’s biggest issue right now is letting his mistakes snowball on one another. He will make a mistake on a routine ball and spend the rest of the game beating himself up.
“I think, if anything, that’s probably the biggest thing,” Dickerson said. “He gets so down and hard on himself. He beats himself to death. And if you think of self-esteem and self-confidence, when you’re not confident in anything you do, you’re going to be a little hesitant. Anything. You’re a little bit hesitant in really trusting how to finish this play. I think that’s it. He’s just a tick inconsistent with his reads this year and just not trusting what he’s doing.”
For the Phillies to live up to their potential this season, they’ll need Turner to play up to his full potential both with the bat and his glove.
Phillies $300 Million SS Opens Up About Struggles This Season