The Philadelphia Phillies used a dominant season to earn a bye in the National League playoffs. However, their reward is an NLDS series against the defending champion Los Angeles Dodgers. Rob Thomson and Dave Roberts will match wits in a series that could easily decide who represents the NL in the World Series. Phillies shortstop Trea Turner figures to be an X-factor.
Both teams have stars up and down their rosters. The Phillies hope that Kyle Schwarber did enough during the regular season to win the NL MVP. However, he has to face off against the favorite to win the award in Shohei Ohtani. Each pitching staff has multiple All-Stars, even if Zack Wheeler will miss the series due to injury. This truly is a matchup of two juggernaut teams.
Turner is one of the best pure hitters in all of baseball. He and Schwarber had a chance to give the Phillies the NL batting crown, ultimately falling just short of doing so. Despite that, the two stars have become one of the most intimidating leadoff duos in Major League Baseball. If they can match or exceed the production from Ohtani and Mookie Betts, Philadelphia gains an edge.
While the Phillies' roster is dominant on paper, a lack of playoff success has held it back from joining the elite groups in league history. Schwarber and Turner are the only two players on the roster with rings, even though Philadelphia got very close to one in 2022. Phillies fans hope that this is the year they can avenge the World Series loss they suffered to the Houston Astros.
Turner is one of the league's best players when he is at his apex. Here is how he can impact the NLDS series between Los Angeles and Philadelphia.
Turner's impressive OBP can kickstart the Phillies' offense
Schwarber presents Roberts with the biggest challenge when deciding how to approach the Phillies' batting order. However, Turner looms large as a threat behind him. Throughout his career, the infielder has proven that he can get on base consistently and create havoc around an opposing pitcher when he gets there. He is someone the pitching staff needs to be very wary of.
Turner's numbers are a bit skewed because he missed time with injury. However, a batting average of .304 with an on-base percentage of .355 still mark him as an elite batter. He will get on base consistently throughout the series, making home runs from Harper and J.T. Realmuto hurt that much more. If Turner sparks his team's offense, the Phillies can end a game very fast.
Thomson has leaned into Schwarber's knack for leadoff home runs this year. The slugger figures to be the leadoff batter for Philadelphia in Game 1 of the NLDS. However, Turner batting second is just as scary for a Dodgers team that wants to shut the Phillies' offense out. Philadelphia's offense is lethal when it is in a rhythm, and Turner is the spoon that stirs the drink.
Turner's defensive presence can limit the Dodgers' small ball attack
Over the course of their two games against the Reds, the Dodgers scored 18 total runs. To a certain extent, there is no stopping the Los Angeles offense from producing. Ohtani had two home runs in Game 1 that saw the Dodgers hit five of them. However, Los Angeles leaned on small ball to win Game 2 8-4 and win the series. Turner needs to be at his best to prevent that kind of success.
Turner's injury forced him to miss a decent stretch of time late in the season. Edmundo Sosa did what he could to fill the gap left by the former All-Star, but the shortstop is the linchpin of Thomson's infield defense. Turner had his best defensive season in 2025, giving the Phillies a big advantage on the left side of the infield. Philadelphia hopes his glove comes to play in October.
Throughout the NLWCS, the Dodgers picked on Reds shortstop Elly De La Cruz. The young infielder is a talented but inefficient defender. Turner is a better all-around player and the far superior defender. Los Angeles will have a tough time scoring against the Phillies' pitching staff. If Turner plays well defensively, Roberts will have a tough time manufacturing runs in the series.
Regardless of how the series shakes out, Turner will have a big role to play. Roberts has had issues with his bullpen for weeks, setting the table for some late game Phillies heroics. The winner of the series could easily cruise to a World Series title, and Turner is the X-factor that could flip everything on its head.
