The Philadelphia Phillies made it to the MLB postseason for the fifth year in a row in 2026, going 88-74 and claiming the National League’s No. 6 seed. However, they lost in the first round for the first time during this five-year stretch.
The biggest problem for the Phillies all year were their bats. Their .707 team OPS ranked 22nd in baseball after having four straight seasons being in the top 10.
Perhaps the biggest reason for this decline was the play of shortstop Trea Turner. In year four of an 11-year, $300 million megadeal he was quite lackluster swinging the bat.
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Criticism
In a press conference on Thursday, Philadelphia general manager Dave Dombrowski spoke on Turner’s performance. He said he told the shortstop that it was mandatory that he improves next season and that the position may no longer be his if he does not.
A possible switch off of shortstop may light a fire under Turner, who will be heading into his age-33 season in 2027. During this year, he had arguably his worst defensive season of his career, posting -8 outs above average.
Offensively, he was similarly subpar. Across 157 games, he slashed .242/.297/.378 (.675 OPS) with 19 home runs and 58 RBIs. He spent most of his time batting first or second in the order, which calls into question the lineup construction of the Phillies.
The fact that Turner was getting the most plate appearances of any hitter gives good reason to Dombrowski’s and other’s criticism. He is getting paid more than $25 million per season and will continue to be through 2033, so he is expected to be much better.
2027 outlook
The good news is that the 33-year-old appeared in the most games during 2026 as he had during any season over his Phillies career. There is clearly no question about his durability, which should make it easier for Turner to improve.
It has never been to this level, but the veteran has shown a good amount of inconsistencies year over year. Perhaps that will play into his favor as he gets ready for the 2027 season.
Dombrowski and his club have a variety of questions to answer this offseason, but Turner is a piece that is here to stay. He will have all winter to work on his swing and his defense to potentially come back stronger next year.
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