Nightengale's notebook: After slow start, Phillies, Trea Turner get hot in June
PHOENIX − The music is blaring in the Philadelphia Phillies clubhouse. Players are singing along to "Dancing on My Own," their theme song in last year’s playoff march. There’s laughter. There’s even a coffee barista for their early afternoon game.
Life is good again for the Phillies, who after being one of baseball’s most disappointing and underachieving teams the first two months of the season, finally are living up to expectations.
Why not?
After all, it’s June.
A year ago, the Phillies were 22-29 on June 1, took off, and kept playing until the first week of November, falling just two games shy of the World Series title.
This year, they were 25-32 on June 2, tied with the Washington Nationals for last place in the NL East.
They suddenly have won 12 of their last 14 games entering Sunday's game against the Oakland A’s.
"I guess June really is the month for the Phillies to come back from under .500," Phillies backup catcher Garrett Stubbs says. "A little bit of a slow start, but it seems like we’re kind of on a path of what we did in 2022."
They are hitting again, batting .289 with an .847 OPS during the stretch. The rotation is yielding a 2.06 ERA. And that $300 million free-agent shortstop investment, well, is starting to pay dividends.
This is the fourth consecutive year the Phillies jumped into the deep end of the free-agent pool, and as they’ve now come to understand, it takes time for their newly prized acquisitions to feel comfortable in their new surroundings in a tough blue-collar city.
Bryce Harper, the face of the franchise, was booed by the Phillies’ fans on just the third day on the job when he struggled at the start of the 2019 season.
All-Star catcher J.T Realmuto struggled the first half of 2019 after being traded from the Marlins, and the scrutiny only increased in 2021 after he signed his five-year, $115 million free-agent contract.
Kyle Schwarber and Nick Castellanos, who each received $100 million deals a year ago, were frequently serenaded by boos until last year’s playoff run.
MLB SALARIES: Who is the highest-paid shortstop in MLB?
And now there is shortstop Trea Turner, who was only a shell of himself the first two months of this season, hitting .236 with only 19 extra-base hits. He closed out May hitting .130 in the last 11 games, and was vociferously booed night after night.
"Even my mom says she was booing me," Turner says.
Well, now that calendar has turned to June, Turner is becoming comfortable in his new surroundings, he’s hitting .288 with two homers and six RBI. He has raised his season batting average to .247. It’s hardly Turner standards, but it’s a start.
No coincidence, the Phillies are winning with Turner’s turnaround.
"I don’t know what it was," Turner tells USA TODAY Sports. "I had already made a decent amount of money, so it wasn’t a money thing. I’ve played on playoff teams. I’ve played in big markets. Personally, I think getting traded is harder than free agency.
"If you want to make yourself feel better, you can come up with all kinds of excuses, but I just didn’t play well.
"It’s that simple."
Well, all Turner needs to do is look around the clubhouse, and every marquee free-agent will tell you the same thing.
Money brings huge expectations. Expectations brings scrutiny. Scrutiny brings emotions.
And, if you struggle, you’re going to have 35,000 fans booing the moment you leave the on-deck circle and walk to the plate.
Welcome to Philly.
"You just put so much pressure on yourself," Realmuto said. "This game is hard enough when you’re clear-minded and level-headed, and playing free and easy. Then you start putting pressure on yourself, trying to do too much, and trying too hard to have success.
"We get in our own way, putting too much pressure and expectations on ourselves.
"When you struggle, and you happen to be playing for the Phillies, Boston or New York, well, the hometown fans have a way of reminding you just how much you stink."
"Especially here in Philly," Realmuto says, "there are always a lot of expectations. There’s no secret they expect excellence. They have high standards. If you don’t play well, they let you know it, and you can feel it."
Awfully loud, and terribly clear.
"I don’t think it’s tougher here, just different," Turner says. "Different kind of people. They bring different things to the table, as do players. So you take on an identity of your city.
"I like it because it’s simple. The fans want to win. We want to win. If we win, they’re happy. If we win we’re happy. We lose, we’re not happy and neither are they. It’s a good back-and-forth.
"The fans should have high expectations, as should we."
Castellanos was a mess throughout most of his first season with the Phillies last year, winding up with just 18 homers and 62 RBI and a .694 OPS. This year, he has been the Phillies’ most productive hitter, batting .315 with eight homers, 42 RBI and an .851 OPS.
"It’s a little bit of everything," Castellanos says. "It’s the expectations with a new contract. The personalities we’re used to seeing and interact with on an everyday basis isn’t the same. The energy from your fanbase is different. The vibe and energy is different. Different organizations have different philosophies on how they go about their day."
It takes time for players to adjust.
Some never do.
"When you’re young coming up," Castellanos says, "you say, 'I’ve got to get drafted. Then it’s I’ve got to get to the big leagues. Then, got to stay in the big leagues. And then, I got to have monetary success to take care of your family.'
"And when you get that, sometimes there’s a little bit of relaxation. I can breathe a little bit. But you’ve got to get your motivation back."
Sometimes, you’ve just got to remind yourself that you’re good. You don’t get a $300 million contract unless you’re an elite player. Turner has shown that he’s one of the best in the game.
It has taken longer than he desired, but Turner’s talent is now starting to emerge, just in time to help save the Phillies’ season.
"I know he’s been pressing, he talked about it," Phillies GM Sam Fuld said. "I know he wants to perform to his normal ability. But we have a lot of confidence that he’ll perform at the custom we’re seeing. He’s an elite talent. Nothing has changed to give us much pause."
Yep, just ask Harper, one of the faces of baseball, who not only has embraced the expectations now, but thrives on the intensity of playing in Philadelphia.
"There were some ups and downs with that first year," Harper said, "but I didn’t feel it was affecting me personally compared to some guys, I guess. You just have to be yourself and not worry about anything.
"Trea Turner is Trea Turner for a reason. Trea is a superstar player. People don’t see the effect and impact he has on us in this clubhouse and the culture. He’s unbelievable on and off the field.
"Believe me, Trea is going to be just fine, I’m not worried about him at all."
It’s starting to click now for Turner, and as Castellanos has proven this season, it’s just a matter of time.
"I’ve listened to this song before," Castellanos says, "so now, I’m able to dance to it a little bit better."
Let the music play.
Around the basepaths
≻ There was no mistaking Commissioner Rob Manfred’s power and influence at the owner meetings this past week, as one owner learned in a spirited dialogue between the two, leaving no doubt that the Oakland A’s relocation plan will easily be approved by the owners in the next few weeks.
The A’s need only 23 of the 30 votes to move to Las Vegas.
It will be shocking if it’s not unanimous.
≻ The St. Louis Cardinals have no plans to fire manager Oli Marmol, and his job remains secure, at least until next season, one high-ranking official said.
They have already had three managers since the 2018 All-Star break, and aren’t about to hire a fourth.
It also certainly helps that the Cardinals’ star players have strongly expressed their support towards Marmol instead blaming themselves.
≻ No matter how ugly the Cardinals’ season gets, already sinking to depths last seen since 1997, they privately say they are not trading All-Star first baseman Paul Goldschmidt or All-Star third baseman Nolan Arenado.
It’s a waste of time to even try.
Now, if you’re interested in starters Jack Flaherty and Jordan Montgomery, and relievers like Jordan Hicks, the Cardinals will be all ears.
≻ Several veterans in the Chicago White Sox organization have privately expressed that they would welcome a trade, and considering the way they are playing, may soon get their wish.
None of the players, however, have formally asked the White Sox front office to trade them.
≻ The marriage between Boston Red Sox manager Alex Cora and GM Chaim Bloom appears to be on the rocks, several executives say. It’s difficult to imagine that both will be returning in their same roles in 2024.
≻ Former Milwaukee Brewers GM David Stearns, who’s expected to join the New York Mets in a high-ranking position this winter, could have the Red Sox bidding for his services, too.
≻ The Arizona Diamondbacks and Cincinnati Reds have gone through a long and painful rebuilding process, and although they’d love to make a big splash at the trade deadlines, they’re not about to blow up their future for a quick fix.
They tried that.
It blew up in their face.
The teams will be mildly aggressive, with each badly needing a veteran starter and bullpen reinforcements, but they will be cautious, knowing that the real good times may be in 2024.
≻ Forget all of the bluster, MLB owners say. There are zero plans for any other team to relocate.
≻ Diamond Sports made its full payment to the Texas Rangers this week. Next up, the Arizona Diamondbacks, Cleveland Guardians and Minnesota Twins, who are scheduled to be paid by July 1.
The Rangers receive $111 million in TV rights this year, while the others are about $55 million.
The San Diego Padres remain the lone team that Diamond Sports declined to fully pay, with Major League Baseball taking over the broadcasts.
≻ Former Chicago Cubs and White Sox manager Rick Renteria would be an ideal bench coach for a team looking for help, telling friends he’d love to return in a managerial or high-ranking capacity.
≻ The secret to Kyle Hendricks’ recent success is that he informed the Cubs that he’s going to pitch his own style, calling his own pitches, and not change his ways just to fit into an algorithm.
He is 2-0 with a 1.38 ERA since the conversation, yielding just six hits and one walk in 13 innings.
≻ Future Hall of Famer Albert Pujols says of all the incredible offensive achievements he has accomplished, none mean more than his 2,000 RBI.
It’s lunacy for anyone to believe that RBI isn’t a valued stat.
"You win games by driving in runs or scoring runs," Pujols said. "If RBI doesn’t matter, why keep score."
≻ The best 1-2 punch in baseball?
Take a bow, Shane McClanahan and Zach Eflin. The Tampa Bay Rays are 21-4 in their starts this year.
≻ The Dodgers' six-man rotation at Class AA Tulsa is averaging 94.9-mph on its fastball, making them the hardest throwing team in the minor or major leagues, according to Baseball America. Their rotation is yielding a 2.78 ERA. The next lowest? San Antonio at 4.29 ERA. They also are yielding a meager .197 batting average.
"I saw them at Double-A, and said they would all be in the big leagues," one veteran AL scout said. "Now, I think they’ll all become frontline starters."
Certainly, the Dodgers could use the help.
They have a 4.48 ERA, ranking 21st in baseball, after leading the major leagues in ERA the past four years.
The last time they finished a season with an ERA this bloated was before they moved to Dodger Stadium 61 years ago.
≻ Why are scouts predicting that the D-backs will be unable to sustain this pace?
Their young starting rotation is averaging 4.2 innings with a 5.81 ERA in the 41 games that co-aces Zac Gallen and Merrill Kelly don’t pitch.
≻ The Cubs and Cardinals renew their rivalry this week, this time in London, the first MLB games played there since the Yankees and Red Sox in 2019.
MLB, trying to avoid the offensive fireworks show in 2019 when the two teams combined for 50 runs in two games, have changed the field dimensions. The center-field wall will be 392 feet from home plate, seven feet deeper than before, along with increasing the power alleys by five feet to 387 feet.
Follow Nightengale on Twitter: @Bnightengale
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Philadelphia Phillies winning with Trea Turner’s turnaround
