Revisiting Trea Turner’s Monster 2023 World Baseball Classic
Trea Turner #8 of The United States hits a grand slam during the eighth inning of a 2023 World Baseball Classic Quarterfinal game against The United States at loanDepot park on March 18, 2023 in Miami, Florida. (Photo by Eric Espada/Getty Images)
The 2026 World Baseball Classic gets underway on Thursday. With Team USA just falling short three years prior, they look to recapture what was once their title. The roster is way better now, but it’s missing a key piece from their run in 2023: Trea Turner.
Turner’s pivotal performances in the tournament shaped the way he would be viewed not just from Phillies fans, but the entire country of America. As Team USA eyes another WBC championship, they’ll be without one of the greatest players to ever wear the USA jersey during the tournament.
When Turner signed his 11-year deal with the Phillies in December of 2022, the expectations were sky high for the $300 million shortstop. The vibes for the Phillies were immaculate; they had just signed one of the best infielders in baseball right after a trip to the World Series. Turner, already an established All-Star and World Series champion himself, was expected to provide both his offensive and defensive production to a Phillies team that was a heavy favorite to go back to the fall classic. However, before playing a regular-season game for the club, Turner represented Team USA in the 2023 World Baseball Classic.
Team USA’s roster was stacked. Mike Trout, Mookie Betts, and Paul Goldschmidt highlighted the MVP winners on that roster, and within such a talented lineup, Turner occupied a critical role. His contributions ultimately extended beyond everyone else and influenced the broader narrative heading into his first season with the Phillies.
The defining moment for Turner came in the quarterfinals against Venezuela in the quarterfinals. Turner had been playing well in the tournament, with him grabbing a couple of hits in pool play and a home run against Canada, but this is where the moment no one stops talking about comes in. The US was trailing Venezuela 7-5 at the top of the 7th inning. Tim Anderson started the inning with a walk, Pete Alonso singled, and his newest teammate, J.T. Realmuto, was hit by a pitch. That set up Trea with the bases loaded, and on an 0-2 pitch, Turner delivered a 407-foot grand slam into the left field seats in Miami. That grand slam was the decisive factor in the game, as Team USA went on to win 9-7 and advance to the semi-finals.
His manager, Mark De Rosa, described the moment as a “blackout,” and said that he and the coaching staff lost their mind with excitement. That go-ahead grand slam remains as one of the most clutch hits in WBC history.
His production continued into the semis, with him homering twice in the 14-2 blowout victory over Cuba. His bat stayed hot even with him routinely batting in the bottom third of the lineup, producing consistent production that would stabilize the lineup.
In the championship game vs. Japan, Turner opened the scoring in the second inning with a home run to left, which was his fifth of the tournament. He tied the WBC record for home runs, which was previously set by Lee-Seung Yuop of Korea.
Ultimately, Team USA lost 3-2 to Japan, and Turner’s performance stood out like no other. His five home runs matched the all-time mark, and his 11 RBI’s ranked third-all time in tournament history. His slash line at the culmination of the tournament was .391/.440/1.043, which was a strong contender to win tournament MVP; it ended up going to superstar Shohei Ohtani. Turner later reflected on the experience as one of the most fun stretches of his career. He earned USA Baseball’s 2023 Richard W. “Dick” Case Award for his contributions.
His success in the red, white, and blue did not transfer over automatically into the regular season for the Phillies. 100 games into his Phillies tenure, he had hit just .236 with 10 home runs and a 76 WRC+, which is 24% below league average. It got so bad for Turner that he was demoted to eighth in the lineup at one point. He made a costly error in a game in which the Phillies lost in Miami in early October, but everything changed once he returned home. He received a standing ovation on August 4 from the Phillies fans, and then went off. After the ovation, he hit .337 with 16 home runs with an OPS over 1.000, showcasing his talent from the tournament in March. It carried over into October of that year, and since then, Turner has been one of the best hitters in the league.
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Now, after three years, the WBC is back, and with an even better USA team looking to become champions again. But it is without Turner. In February, Turner revealed he never received a phone call to return to the tournament. Instead, Mark DeRosa chose younger options such as Bobby Witt Jr. and Gunnar Henderson. He would’ve joined his Phillies teammates Bryce Harper, Kyle Schwarber, and Brad Keller on Team USA.
“The phone never rang,” Turner said. “It’s so much fun. I gladly would have done it again. I said it last time, if they ever ask, I would say yes.”
What made Turner’s run so memorable wasn’t just the good numbers, but the context of it all. The international play brought a different energy to him and a hunger to represent his country. Fans watched a superstar shortstop embrace the moment, and for a few weeks, he became the face of Team USA. Turner reminded everyone why the WBC attracts the entire baseball world. It returns Thursday night. Team USA gets underway on Friday against Brazil. It’ll be without Turner, but the fire will still be there.
Andrew Glover
Andrew is in his first year covering sports for Philly Sports Reports. He is a podcaster and a digital content creator. Right now, he is in his second semester at Temple University pursuing a degree in Media Studies and Production. He has a certificate in Broadcast Journalism from the Connecticut School of Broadcasting in Cherry Hill, New Jersey.
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