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PHILADELPHIA, PA - MAY 22: Philadelphia Phillies shortstop Trea Turner #7 strikes out during the game between the Philadelphia Phillies and the Cleveland Guardians on May 22nd, 2026 at Citizens Bank Park in Philadelphia, PA. (Photo by Terence Lewis/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) | Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
Trea Turner had his best year as a Phillie in 2025, winning the first batting title in franchise history since 1958 and posting his best season by WAR (5.4) in Philadelphia and second best in his career while finishing fifth in MVP voting.
2026 has been a different story however, as Turner was hitting .225 with a .619 OPS entering play on Monday. His strikeout rate is up dramatically, climbing all the way up to 22.1% from 16.7% last year. Turner has almost exclusively hit leadoff this season and because of his struggles, the Phillies rank 28th in OPS (.589) and on-base percentage (.272) while ranking 24th in average (.214) in production out of the leadoff spot. Turner has especially struggled in May, hitting a paltry .186 with a .496 OPS and 25% K rate.
So far, the Phillies and manager Don Mattingly have resisted moving Turner from the leadoff spot in the order. Turner has hit atop the order in 50 of his 51 starts entering Monday and in 226 of his 231 plate appearances. In the rare cases where he wasn’t hitting leadoff, the Phillies have used Kyle Schwarber as a starter in that spot with Justin Crawford, Edmundo Sosa, and Garrett Stubbs appearing there as substitutes. Schwarber of course has a history of success hitting leadoff in Philadelphia but is hitting .130 with a .640 OPS in 66 plate appearances hitting leadoff since the start of 2025.
The Phillies offense has sputtered of late and could use something to try and jolt it back into shape. Should they try moving Trea Turner out of the leadoff spot? If so, who would you like to see move atop the order? Should it be Schwarber or someone else such as Crawford, Brandon Marsh, Bryson Stott, or even Bryce Harper?
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