Phillies' costly star shortstop nonetheless struggling on the plate

Fresh off a visit to the World Sequence in 2022, the Philadelphia Phillies entered the 2023 season with excessive expectations and hopes of a primary championship since 2008.

However the Phillies have stumbled out of the gates this season and sit fourth within the NL East, seven video games behind the first-place Atlanta Braves. Shortstop Trea Turner, a high-profile free agent acquisition final winter, has change into a poster little one for Philadelphia‘s struggles, even with a lot of the season nonetheless to play.

Turner: “I’ve sucked”

Following the Phillies‘ 6-3 loss to the Arizona Diamondbacks on Monday, Turner bought actual about his sluggish begin to the season.

“I am sincere with myself. I’ve sucked,” he stated. “I do not mislead myself. I believe I am a optimistic man. I believe I can all the time do higher and all the time could be higher. That is the sort of angle I’ve. However on the identical time I do know once I do not do one thing proper.”

Turner signed an 11-year, $300 million contract with Philadelphia final offseason, after a season and a half with the Los Angeles Dodgers. A profession .299 hitter over practically 900 MLB video games, Turner is hitting solely .256 via 46 video games this season, with 4 dwelling runs and 11 runs batted in — one season after driving in a career-best 100 runs in 2022.

Turner’s sluggish begin mirroring his crew

Turner and the Phillies will hope their fortunes flip round quickly. Phildelphia has began 22-25 and has one of many worst pitching staffs within the Nationwide League, with a crew earned run common of 4.55.

Baseball Reference‘s playoff odds has assigned the Phillies a 15.2 p.c likelihood to make the postseason as of Could 23. Although greater than 100 video games stay on the schedule, the sluggish begin only one season after a Nationwide League pennant must be severely regarding to the Phillies’ mind belief.