Trea Turner's departure from the Washington Nationals is still a topic that sparks a lot of discussion and change in the team's history. If the team hadn't decided to make big changes at the 2021 trade deadline, he probably would have been a key player for many years. Coming from North Carolina State, Turner was an incredible athlete with lightning-fast speed that kept the opposing team on their toes and made Washington’s batting lineup a real challenge.
His journey to Washington involved an unusual wait. Drafted in the first round of 2014 by San Diego, he was soon traded to the Nationals in a large three-team deal. He had to wait until June 2015 due to a technicality involving a "Player to be Named Later.’ After a brief 40-at-bat introduction in August, Turner delivered a remarkable rookie season in 2016. Ignoring traditional development paths, he hit .342 with 13 homers and 33 stolen bases in just 73 games, playing both second base and center field—finishing as a close runner-up to Corey Seager for NL Rookie of the Year.
Once permanently installed at his natural shortstop position, Turner became the ultimate elite table-setter. He weaponized his elite speed to swipe 46 bases in 2017, then commanded the entire National League in 2018 by leading the league in plate appearances (740), at-bats (664), and stolen bases (43). His relentless baseline chaos became a fundamental gear during the legendary 2019 World Series run; Turner hit a robust .298 and stole 35 bases, providing an indispensable spark at the top of the order that carried the Nationals directly to their historic first-ever World Series banner.
While the strike-shortened 2020 schedule forced a compressed calendar, Turner completely paralyzed Senior Circuit pitching by leading all of baseball with 78 hits, pacing the league with four triples, and finishing an impressive seventh in the NL MVP voting.
In the 2021 season, he reached a historic peak with his offensive performance. Turner compiled an impressive .322 batting average and 21 steals over 96 games, earning his first career All-Star selection after years of waiting. However, with free agency approaching and the team undergoing a full rebuild, the front office traded the star shortstop and ace pitcher Max Scherzer to the Los Angeles Dodgers in a blockbuster deal in July. Turner carried his hot streak to Southern California, securing the 2021 National League batting title with a.328 average and leading the league with 195 hits.
As a National, Turner had 769 hits, 128 doubles, 32 triples, 93 home runs, and 293 RBIs. He posted a .300/.356/486 slash line (121 OPS+) and stole 192 bases.
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