Trea Turner dishes on Phils: 'We have a bunch of studs here'

NEW YORK -- In a recent interview with MLB.com at Yankee Stadium, Philadelphia shortstop Trea Turner answered a wide range of topics from the World Baseball Classic to playing with the Phillies, who rewarded him with an 11-year $300 million contract this past offseason.

MLB.com: What’s the biggest thing you learned about Philadelphia since you signed with the Phillies?

Turner: Just how big the fan base is. I’ve played for some good organizations in my career -- Nats and the Dodgers. L.A. probably has one of the biggest fan bases in baseball. Just visiting Philadelphia, I didn’t know how big the fan base was. It’s pretty impressive. I saw that in Spring Training quite a bit.

MLB.com: What did the fans say to you during Spring Training?

Turner: They were positive. They want to win. They are excited for me to be here. I know I’m excited to be here. They want to win that World Series and so do I. That was a big part of my decision, and that was being on a team that wants to win. We have the squad to do it. The fans are behind us. We just have to play some good baseball.

MLB.com: The last time the Phillies went all the way was in 2008. You know some of the guys who were on that team. Jayson Werth, who was a teammate of yours in Washington, was an integral part of the team.

Turner: I remember when I was growing up, the 2008 team was familiar to me. I feel winning the World Series is special. It’s something I was able to do in 2019 [with the Nationals]. Those teams and those guys who share those memories -- it sounds clichéd -- it was the most fun I ever had. Last year, I know the Phillies had a lot of fun making that deep run. But you want to win the whole thing and they fell a little short. Only one team gets to go all the way. That’s why it’s hard. That’s our goal and that’s to go all the way.

MLB.com: Did you hear from Werth or Bryce Harper before you signed with the Phillies? If so, what advice did they give you?

Turner: I heard from Bryce. I did not hear from Jayson. I will text Jayson every once in a while. I know he is watching from afar and doing his own thing. He was a big influence earlier in my career. I have a lot of love for him. But I talked to Bryce a little bit throughout the process. I had some questions, just talking about the staff and everything. He gave me all the information that I needed. I’m glad to be back with him.

MLB.com: When Harper returns from an elbow injury, can you imagine how good this team will be?

Turner: We have a bunch of studs here. We have a deep lineup, rotation and bullpen. But we have to play cleaner baseball. It’s not the start we wanted, but we have the talent. Obviously, a lot of games left. There is plenty of time. We have to get this ball rolling and we will. I feel good about the guys in the clubhouse.

MLB.com: What’s the biggest thing the Phillies have to do to clean it up on the field?

Turner: It’s not beat ourselves. ... We need to do everything a little bit better. I think we all know that -- pitching, hitting, defense, all of it. We haven’t taken advantage of the opportunities. Don’t beat ourselves and put ourselves in good spots.

MLB.com: You are 29 years old and you will be 30 in June. What is the biggest statistic you are most proud of?

Turner: For me, I think some of the acccounting stats get lost and I understand it. There is a lot of efficiency nowadays. But to have some of these accounting stats that guys have is impressive if you play every day. ... They are impressive to me because that means you showed up every day and gave it everything you had. ... I mean runs scored, total hits, doubles. I mean, the batting average is great. I like batting average and OPS and all that. It’s important, but RBIs are impressive.

MLB.com: When you say accounting stats, what do you mean?

Turner: I mean run scored, total hits, doubles. I mean, the batting average is great. I like batting average and OPS and all that. It’s important, but RBIs are impressive.

MLB.com: I know winning the World Series with the Nationals in 2019 was a highlight in your career. But the way you played in the World Baseball Classic last month, I thought your face said it all by what you accomplished on the field. You seemed so happy to be there. Was that your best moment in baseball?

Turner: I don’t know. I can’t pick one. That was probably my biggest homer. I hit some walk-off home runs, but nothing in the postseason. The grand slam [in the Classic] is probably my biggest homer of career. Being there and playing with those guys was like postseason baseball. It’s electric, it’s a lot of fun, something that is hard to recreate. Definitely, a highlight in my career. I don’t know if it’s No. 1, but it’s up there.

MLB.com: Tell me what it was like to play with those superstars in the Classic?

Turner: It was weird. I kept looking around the room and there are a lot of cornerstones [for a lot of franchises] – one after the other. It’s weird. I don’t think you get used to that. It was weird being around Mookie [Betts], Mike [Trout] and all these guys in the same clubhouse because we play against each other so much. It was fun pulling on the same rope and trying to accomplish the same goal. It was a great time.

MLB.com: It might sound like a weird question, but are you playing for Team USA in 2026?

Turner: Oh, if they ask me, I would love to. I don’t make predictions or think that far ahead. I know there are a lot of good players. If they have me, I would love to.

MLB.com: Could you talk about what your family means to you. One of the reasons you chose the Phillies was to be near your wife’s family.

Turner: Yeah, that was part of it. There is no one thing that stuck out. A lot of pros pointed to Philly -- the team being on the East Coast. All of that. Family means a lot. Being close to home helps. We are really excited about it. We enjoy being around her family and my family as well. We are closer to home in Florida. That means they can come out to see us a little more throughout the season instead of watching so much baseball on TV and Facetime. That was a big one.

MLB.com: It’s hard to believe that you have a son. When we first met, you were a baby.

Turner: It happens quickly. It feels like a long time ago. But at the same time, it felt like yesterday. It’s kind of the beauty of it. A lot has happened. It’s gone by fast and slow at the same time. It has been fun.