"The last nine games have been ridiculous" - MLB analyst on Phillies' shortstop Trea Turner's recent offensive firepower

When the Philadelphia Phillies signed shortstop Trea Turner to a massive eleven-year, $300 million deal ahead of last season, everyone knew the expectations were high. However, the former NL batting champ appears to have gone above and beyond.

Over his past nine games, Turner has hit .432, slugged .919 and connected for six home runs. Certainly one of the hottest hitters in the game, Turner's ninth homer of the season on Thursday night prompted MLB analyst and retired MLB star Xavier Scruggs to claim:

"(Turner's) last nine games have been ridiculous for this man. And then even going back before that, he had a three for five game too. I mean, just the tier that he's on is kinda like that WBC tier. When you have Trea Turner doing this, it reminds you of why you signed him to that super star deal."

This week, the Phillies played one of their most widely previewed series of the season against the Los Angeles Dodgers. Regarded as two of the top baseball teams in the world, pundits were expecting a neck-in-neck result between two clubs that pitch, hit and field better than most other teams.

Instead, the Phillies offense made quick work of the Dodgers, outscoring their opponents 19-5 over three games. Trea Turner played a pivotal role, knocking in two home runs and six RBIs over the course of the three-game series. Turner is now hitting .348/.393/.529 with nine home runs and 29 RBIs in 54 games for the Philadelphia Phillies this season.

Scruggs, a former member of the St. Louis Cardinals and Miami Marlins, has served as a baseball analyst in his retirement. In 2022, Scruggs was recruited as an inaugural panelist for the MLB Network program "Off Base."

Trea Turner continues course for career-best season

This past weekend, Turner was selected to play in the third All-Star game of his career. While his career in Philly has featured some moments of despair, the Florida-born shortstop knows how to play his game. As he told MLB.com after blasting a 459-foot home run against the Atlanta Braves last week:

“I can do what I’m supposed to. I can end the at-bat when I should. I felt like today, if the pitch was in the zone, I took a good swing at it. If it wasn’t, I took it. The at-bats were good all day. The decision-making was good. That comes from repeating the load and seeing the ball good.”

As the team turns the corner towards the second half of the season, Trea Turner and his teammates will continue to push forth for the ultimate prize.