Nationals host Phillies in Free Game of the Day
It wasn’t long ago a Washington Nationals outfielder started a mission to make baseball fun again. As we enter the home stretch of the 2016 regular season, a Nationals outfielder is doing just that. His name, however, is not Bryce Harper. He’s rookie Trea Turner, and he’s helping solidify Washington as one of the teams to beat in the National League.
Look no further than Friday night. Turner delivered his first career multi-homer game, which included a walk-off blast in the ninth, to lead the Nationals to a 5-4 win against the Phillies.
The Nationals had opportunities to promote Turner throughout April and May. Then they teased us by promoting him for a short two-game stint in early June. That left us wondering when his real chance would come. When it finally did on July 10, we could only wonder what took them so long to make the move.
[Join a Yahoo Daily Fantasy Baseball contest now]
It turns out Washington was determined to keep Danny Espinosa at shortstop, Turner’s usual position, despite a really rough start to his season. To win a spot, Turner had to prove he could play the outfield, and specifically center field. Now that he’s proven he can, he’s up and in the lineup every day.
It’s expected Turner will be in there again on Saturday, when the Nationals again face Philadelphia in the MLB Free Game of the Day on Yahoo Sports. You can stream the game at Yahoo’s Sports Home, MLB index and video home beginning at 7:10 p.m. ET.
It’s not an exciting matchup on paper, but it’s an opportunity to watch Turner do his thing. He’s excelled in every phase so far, especially on the basepaths. Did you know, in 52 games, Turner already has 21 stolen bases? Did you also know that’s five more than the Baltimore Orioles have all season as a team?
As Turner will have you know, speed is a part of his game, but not his entire game. Here’s an interesting excerpt on that very subject from a recent Washington Post article.
Every time Trea Turner hits a home run, Elliott Avent texts him with the same message: Bunt for a hit in your next at-bat. The North Carolina State baseball coach repeats the suggestion facetiously. He knows his former star shortstop loves hitting home runs and possesses sneaky power in his wiry frame. He just doesn’t think Turner, the fastest college baseball player he has seen in his 30-plus years, utilizes his speed as frequently as he could.
Avent isn’t the only confidant to relay this kind of advice to Turner. If not bunt, at least focus on putting the ball on the ground, the consultants advise. If the Washington Nationals’ rookie sensation can do that, he can leg out a few extra hits, the theory goes. And the more he’s on base, the more he can terrorize defenses with his speed. Turner listens and scoffs.
“People tell me that,” he said. “And I’m like, ‘Shut up.’ ”
We’ll side with Turner here. He’s hitting .345 so far, and he’s showing he can terrorize opponents in all ways. His eight homers, 11 doubles and six triples out of the leadoff spot back it up, so there’s no reason for Turner to change anything. He’s a dynamic talent who should be trusted and turned loose.
More MLB coverage from Yahoo Sports:
– – – – – – –
Mark Townsend is a writer for Big League Stew on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at bigleaguestew@yahoo.com or follow him on Twitter!
