Philadelphia Phillies Star Embraces Last Chance at Shortstop in 2025

This Philadelphia Phillies three-time All-Star is determined to improve at shortstop in the upcoming campaign.

Mar 4, 2025; Clearwater, Florida, USA; Philadelphia Phillies shortstop Trea Turner (7) throws to first base against the New York Yankees in the third inning during spring training at BayCare Ballpark. / Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images / Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images

The Philadelphia Phillies are hoping for a turnaround from Trea Turner, following a disappointing 2024 season at shortstop.

With Opening Day around the corner, Turner is locking in. He has to. According to Matt Gelb of The Athletic, there could be a potential position change for Turner if he doesn't perform in 2025.

“I almost feel like I’d be a better shortstop the second half of my career because I can slow down,” Turner remembers telling them. “I can do things right. Instead of being a 25-year-old, like out of control, just making plays.”

Ahead of his age-32 campaign, Turner is hitting .192 with eight strikeouts and only one stolen base in Spring Training. To be fair, Turner's absence through six weeks in 2024 due to a hamstring injury did a lot to hinder his production. And his confidence.

However, despite the criticism, Turner still believes that he is capable of a huge redemption year.

“Oh, yeah. Always,” Turner said. “That’s just a competitor in me. I hate when somebody says you can’t do something. I’ve always been like that. But now, at this point in my career, I just want to get better. I don’t even care what somebody says about me anymore. Obviously, it’s annoying. But if I just play better, they can’t say anything. Right? So it definitely still motivates me. Definitely still bugs me. But now it’s more personal with myself than it is about somebody else saying it about me.”

“But, also, in the last two years, there’s been a lot of talking,” Turner said. “A lot of this, a lot of that. I want to [expletive] do it, you know?”

Turner addressed how he's forming the right habits at shortstop during spring training, and he credits much of it to the coaching, as well as his adaptability since arriving to the City of Brotherly Love in 2022.

“I think that’s what I struggled with my first year (with the Phillies),” Turner said. “I knew I wasn’t the greatest defender ever, but at the same time, I didn’t think I was bad. I thought I was pretty average. Do I want to be better? Obviously. But (as an) average defender, I was like, ‘All right, I’m doing my job.’ And then, when I got here, it felt like we were changing everything. And I also wasn’t doing well. I’m like, ‘Why am I changing everything and then going backwards?’”

Now the three-time All-Star will have to translate it to the field in the regular season.

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