The Washington Nationals' playoff window continues to close with each game, but the team will at least give its fans some excitement in the form of Trea Turner. The Nats announced Friday they called up the 22-year-old shortstop.
Turner is hitting .322 with a .458 slugging percentage, eight home runs, 54 runs batted in and 29 stolen bases between Double- and Triple-A. Washington acquired him from the San Diego Padres in a three-team trade last year, but the deal couldn't be completed until he spent a year in the organization following the 2014 draft.
As Baseball America's John Manuel noted, it has been a whirlwind couple of years for the former North Carolina State star:
Baseball America ranked Turner as the San Diego Padres' second-best prospect to start the season. He sits 12th on MLB.com's list of the 100 best prospects, while Baseball Prospectus placed him 43rd on its midseason ranking.
Baseball Prospectus' Mauricio Rubio Jr. provided a brief scouting report for Turner:
On Tuesday, Turner talked about the possibility of joining the Nationals, per Grant Paulsen of 106.7 The Fan in Washington, D.C.:
JJ Cooper of Baseball America posted Turner could help out the team at a few different positions:
Neither Ian Desmond nor Anthony Rendon has been particularly good this year. Between the two, Rendon seems the likelier to be replaced if manager Matt Williams plans on playing Turner in the middle of the infield.
Since he's being called up now, he'd be eligible for Washington's playoff roster. It may not come to that, though, with the Nats boasting 21.2 percent playoff odds on Baseball Prospectus.
Even if the Nationals fail to overtake the New York Mets in the National League East, Turner will at least receive invaluable experience in the big leagues over the next month and change.
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