Phillies Need Struggling Slugger To Turn Things Around

Which slugger do the Philadelphia Phillies need to turn things around?

Jun 9, 2026; Toronto, Ontario, CAN; Philadelphia Phillies manager Don Mattingly after a visit to the pitching mound against the Toronto Blue Jays during the ninth inning at Rogers Centre. | John E. Sokolowski-Imagn Images

The Philadelphia Phillies have been playing some very good baseball of late, but they could still use some players to perform better. 

After the terrible start to the campaign, the Phillies have been one of the best teams in baseball and are right back in playoff contention despite being 10 games under .500 to begin the year. The impressive turnaround for the team has been sparked following the firing of their manager, Rob Thomson. 

This decision has proven to be a good one, and it appeared to be the wakeup call that Philadelphia needed. Furthermore, getting some of their key players to perform better has been the real reason for the turnaround. This was a team that had the worst run differential in the league for a while, and they are still negative despite being six games over the .500 mark. 

With a lot of talent on the team, there is reason to believe that they are going to be a contender come September once again. Multiple players are having All-Star-caliber campaigns, and the team should be pleased with the turnaround. However, while some key players are performing well, one slugger has struggled all year, and that is Trea Turner. 

Phillies Need More From Turner

Philadelphia Phillies shortstop Trea Turner | Denis Poroy-Imagn Images

Despite being a former All-Star and one of the best players on the team for the last several years, Turner is struggling quite a bit for Philadelphia, and it is a major concern for the team. 

So far this season, he has slashed .225/.277/.342 with seven home runs and 21 RBI. As a key part of the batting order, the production from the 32-year-old has been really bad. Considering he has seven years left on his contract at over $25 million per year, the Phillies have to hope that this is just an extended slump and not a massive decline happening. 

The last two years, Turner was a player with an OPS over .800 and a main contributor for the team. Unfortunately, with an OPS below .700 right now, he has been a liability in the batting order. Philadelphia has started to move him around a bit, and being near Bryce Harper and Kyle Schwarber in the batting order should present him with good pitches to hit, considering their talent level and how they are performing. 

Overall, if the Phillies are going to be a real contender, they need Turner to be better. He has the ability to be what the team is lacking in the batting order, and with a long-term commitment to him, Philadelphia needs him to be better.