Trea Turner looks to cut down on chasing — and he’s starting to see the results
Turner's plate discipline has been a major issue this season. But he hopes to produce more in the second half of the year without trying to do "everything perfect."
In early June, as his struggles at the plate dragged on, Trea Turner had a conversation with Josh Studnitzer, the Phillies’ manager of hitting strategy.
It was illuminating.
“Just the way I was getting pitched was unbelievable in the sense that everything was on the edge of the plate, just nothing to hit really, and trying to do a little too much,” Turner said. “And sometimes it felt like I wanted to walk, but I couldn’t walk, because they were strikes.”
According to StatCast data, 42.9% of the pitches to Turner this year have been on the edge of the strike zone. Out of all major league hitters, that ranks 21st highest.
But learning that those numbers supported what he was feeling at the plate didn’t help him much. He was still going to have to find a way to turn things around, and get back to what helped him win the National League batting title in 2025.
“Doesn’t matter, because it’s all about production, right?” Turner said. “I’m not the prettiest player or whatever you want to call it. I don’t do everything perfect, and I just find a way to help the team. … When I try to be perfect, it just sets me backwards. And I just have to be who I am.
“Everyone likes to tell you all the things, that they even out, or this can’t happen the whole year. But after a while, it gets so old. How do you get better? How do you find more production?”
One of the major keys is cutting down on chasing pitches outside the strike zone, which has been a major issue for Turner this season. Back in June, when he had that conversation with Studnitzer, Turner was chasing at a 37.1% clip. In July so far, he has cut that to 29%.
In turn, that forces pitchers to attack him differently, and makes it more likely he gets pitches to hit, like the fastball he sent 414 feet on Saturday for his second homer in as many games after the All-Star break.
“You’re definitely going to get pitched differently when you quit chasing. You keep chasing and swinging, they’re going to keep throwing it until you stop,” said interim manager Don Mattingly. “So he’s getting pitched differently. He’s creating the pitches. It’s like we talk about with [Bryce Harper]. He has to protect himself. If they’re not pitching to him, he needs to walk. Things like that. And I think that’s what you see with Trea, is that you’re not chasing as much, you’re getting better pitches.”
» READ MORE: Trea Turner’s post All-Star break reset shows results in Phillies’ 6-1 win over the Mets
Ahead of the All-Star break, Mattingly gave Turner an extra day off during the Phillies’ road series in Cincinnati because he was a “little banged up in the lower half.” Turner has been in the lineup all three games since the break.
“I don’t know if we’re 100%, but I think we’re a lot better than we were before the break. Let’s put it that way,” Mattingly said.
Turner still has the green light on the bases to steal whenever he feels he is able to, Mattingly said. Turner swiped his 17th base of the season on Saturday, which ties Bryson Stott for the team lead.
Turner said that he doesn’t feel limited physically on defense. Where he feels the room for improvement lies in reading hops better.
“Physically, there’s nothing to change,” he said. “Just keep doing the things that I’ve been doing the last two years with [infield coach] Bobby [Dickerson] and working on those fundamentals. But just reading the ball a little bit better.”
Looking ahead to Dodgers series
When Los Angeles comes to town on Monday, the Phillies will avoid facing Shohei Ohtani — on the mound, at least.
Dodgers manager Dave Roberts told reporters Sunday that Ohtani will not make his next scheduled pitching start on Wednesday against the Phillies, due to lingering left knee soreness. Ohtani, who has a 1.79 ERA and 0.95 WHIP in 14 starts this year, opted out of the All-Star Game for the same reason. He has never pitched at Citizens Bank Park during the regular season, but was on the mound last year for Game 1 of the 2025 National League Division Series, when he held the Phillies to three hits and three runs over six innings.
The two-way star is, however, able to hit as normal, and is expected to be in the lineup as a designated hitter during the upcoming series. In 93 games, Ohtani has a .943 OPS and 22 homers.
Extra bases
Cristopher Sánchez (11-4, 2.62 ERA) is scheduled to start opposite Dodgers right-hander Emmet Sheehan (4-6, 4.81) in Monday’s series opener.
Phillies owner John Middleton spent months planning to host the city’s first All-Star Game in 30 years. Now that it’s over, he joined Phillies Extra, The Inquirer’s baseball podcast, to recap his most memorable moments from the week. He also discussed the upcoming trade deadline and Field of Dreams Game in Iowa, and the future of the top of the Phillies organizational masthead. Watch here. Watch here.
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