Phillies Need To Consider More Drastic Trea Turner Change

The Philadelphia Phillies have been incredibly patient with shortstop Trea Turner, who has fallen woefully short of expectations in 2026.

Through 67 games and 296 plate appearances, he has produced a .225/.277/.342 slash line. His 69 OPS+ is tied for the lowest mark in a season since his rookie year in 2015, when he received only 44 plate appearances. As a full-time Major Leaguer, he has never been below 100.

Through 65 games, he produced a .617 OPS, which was the lowest he has produced during a 65-game stretch at any point in his career. Turner has gotten hits in his last two games, going 2-for-9 with four strikeouts.

Interim manager Don Mattingly already made one change with Turner, dropping him out of the leadoff spot. He flipped with designated hitter Kyle Schwarber, who was hitting No. 2 and is now batting first in the order.

Phillies need to move Trea Turner down in lineup

Philadelphia Phillies shortstop Trea Turner (7) hits a single. — Jun 6, 2026; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Philadelphia Phillies shortstop Trea Turner (7) hits a single against the Chicago White Sox during the first inning at Citizens Bank Park. | Bill Streicher-Imagn Images

At this point, a more drastic move needs to be made because the veteran shortstop is not getting the job done. Dropping him to second looked to create a spark at first, but it has not been successful.

His numbers are better at No. 2 with a .242/.277/.387 slash line after producing a .221/.274/.329 slash line in the leadoff spot. Alas, that production leaves a lot to be desired, and Mattingly needs to strongly consider making another change to the lineup.

One of the reasons an adjustment is needed is to help Bryce Harper. He has been hitting third in the lineup virtually all season, but he leads the MLB with the most plate appearances with two outs and zero players on base.

Turner’s struggles have been a major contributing factor to Harper not being in a position to do damage. It has also been a drag on the team’s overall production, with one of their main contributors performing at such a low level.

Trea Turner in desperate need of shake up

Philadelphia Phillies shortstop Trea Turner (7) throws his wrist guard. — May 31, 2026; Los Angeles, California, USA; Philadelphia Phillies shortstop Trea Turner (7) throws his wrist guard after lining out during the seventh inning against the Los Angeles Dodgers at Dodger Stadium. | William Liang-Imagn Images

It certainly couldn’t hurt to try something new to see if something can be sparked in Turner. Right now, his Batting Run Value of -9 is in the eighth percentile. It’s a massive drop-off from his production in 2025, when he was in the 86th percentile with a +21.

His entire Baseball Savant page is blue, which means everything is below average. The only thing that Turner is doing at an above-average level this year is running the bases, with his +3 Baserunning Run Value being in the 97th percentile.

The Phillies have mounted quite a turnaround in their campaign despite Turner’s struggles, but something needs to be done sooner or later to try to get him back on track.

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