Philadelphia Phillies shortstop Trea Turner joined Ike Reese, Spike Eskin and Jack Fritz live from Clearwater on Thursday's 94WIP Afternoon Show.
"Rollercoaster," Turner said when asked to recap his first season as a Phillie. "Lot of ups and downs individually, and team wise obviously. Lot of highs, lot of fun, but also some unfinished business and I'm excited for this year."
Turner, who turns 31 in June, signed an 11-year, $300 million contract with the Phillies in December of 2022.
Turner struggled to start the 2023 season, batting just .235 with 10 home runs and 34 RBIs in 107 games. But on August 4th, thanks to a push from 94WIP—and more specifically 94WIP Afternoon Show host Jack Fritz—Turner received a standing ovation at Citizens Bank Park on August 4th.
Turner immediately went on a 10-game hitting streak and then went ballistic for the rest of the season, hitting .337 with 16 home runs and 42 RBIs in the 48 post-ovation games.
"I felt good from day one [last season]," Turner said about last season. "It was a bumpy year for me personally. I definitely feel more comfortable this year...But I had fun last year. It was a difficult year, but I enjoyed it."
Turner was asked about the relationship between the team and the fan base.
"They make every regular season game more fun," Turner said when asked about Phillies fans and playing in a passionate city like Philadelphia. "I think that helps us as a team. I think we really feed off of that. The relationship has been really good the last two, three years between players and fans."