MLB

Trea Turner delivers wake-up call to Phillies teammates ahead of 2026 season

Trea Turner is one of the most authoritative voices in the Phillies clubhouse when it comes to steering the team in the right direction for a deep postseason run and that’s exactly the message he delivered in a statement that served as an indirect challenge to the entire club.

Trea Turner of the Philadelphia Phillies on August 28, 2025 in Philadelphia.
© Getty ImagesTrea Turner of the Philadelphia Phillies on August 28, 2025 in Philadelphia.

Trea Turner, like several of his teammates, did everything he could to help the Philadelphia Phillies make a deep postseason run last year. This time, the goal remains the same, return to the World Series, though Turner acknowledged they ultimately fell short against the defending champions.

“I feel we have the pieces. I know it’s not necessarily the ‘new toy.’ We are more than capable of winning the whole thing. We just have to execute at the end of the year. We just have to put ourselves in another good spot like we did last year, and come out on top,” Turner told NBC Sports Philadelphia.

Turner finished last season with 15 home runs, a slight drop from 2024 when he hit 21 in just 121 games. However, 2025 marked his best year in terms of batting average, posting a .305 clip that proved critical in helping push Philadelphia back into the postseason.

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Turner hopes for a big year from Bryce Harper

Inevitably, Turner was asked about comments from Dave Dombrowski regarding Bryce Harper, suggesting Harper did not have an “elite” season despite playing a key role in the club’s fourth consecutive postseason appearance since 2022.

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“I’m looking forward to him just—I don’t want to say getting back to himself—but just, you know, having the year he wants to have because when he does that, it’s special,” Turner said, carefully avoiding direct reference to Dombrowski while emphasizing his confidence in his teammate.

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Whether the Phillies can return to the postseason again remains likely. Following recent roster adjustments, including the departure of Nick Castellanos, the team still appears well-positioned. Under manager Rob Thomson, Philadelphia has consistently played into October, reaching the World Series in 2022, falling in the NLCS in 2023, and exiting in the Division Series in each of the past two seasons.

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