Dodgers’ Player Spotlight: The Journey of Justin Turner

“Justin Turner may be the crazy glue that keeps this team together.” Imagine saying this phrase two years ago when Turner was seen as nothing more than a utility infielder, at best.

There’s a funny thing about baseball; sometimes it just doesn’t make any sense, and Justin Turner’s unprecedented rise falls under that category. From a minor league contract to team star, Justin Turner has saved his career and cemented his spot on this Dodgers’ team.

In one of the last moves of the Colletti era, Justin Turner was signed to a minor league contract before the 2014 season. After getting non-tendered by the Mets, Turner had no team to play for as he entered the 2014 season. As fate may have it, Turner was seen by, then-Dodgers’ bench coach, Tim Wallach taking some swings at Cal State Fullerton. Wallach came away impressed and gave Ned Colletti a call to take a shot on Turner.

If we look back to his career up to that point, Turner was seen as nothing more than a bench player. With the Reds, Orioles, and Mets, Turner was very unimpressive and struggled to find an everyday role on a roster. He was never seen as an impact player until he came to LA. Just like the old saying goes, “One man’s trash is another man’s treasure.”

In his first full year with the team, Turner played in 109 games and set career-highs in home runs, on-base percentage, and slugging percentage. Fighting for playing time with Juan Uribe, Turner was able to make a case to be an everyday player. Turner exceeded expectations throughout the year and earned himself a 1-year $2.5 million deal for the 2015-2016 season. The Dodgers were committed to Turner and had faith that his first year in LA was a sign of things to come.

Turner continued to impress in the 2015 season, and as Juan Uribe’s production regressed, Turner took over the everyday role he searched for. In 2015, Turner hit 16 home runs and had an on-base percentage of .370. For his efforts, Turner was awarded another 1-year deal worth $5.1 million. After finally finding a spot on the roster, Turner had shown his potential, but there were still doubts if he would be able to keep his production up. Those doubters were silenced after Turner’s 2016 season.

Last season, Turner became one of the major keys to the Dodgers’ success and in the process, became one of the clubhouse leaders. He set career-highs in basically every statistical category with 27 home runs, 90 RBIs, 34 doubles, and a slugging percentage of .493. He led the team in the NLDS, going 6-15 with a home run and a triple and capped off his career season with a bang.

When the team got eliminated by the Cubs in the NLCS, questions started to arise whether the team would bring back Turner. It seemed as if the Dodgers would have to choose between their “Big 3” of free agents in Kenley Jansen, Rich Hill, and Justin Turner.

Surprisingly, the team brought back all three players and awarded Justin Turner with a 4-year $64 million deal. By locking up Turner through his age-35 season, the team made a statement that they had found their third baseman of the future.

Coming into 2017, Turner is expected to put up similar numbers to last year and has started off on the right track. Through 14 games, Turner has a total of 18 hits with eight of them being doubles.  He has yet to hit a homer but has more than made up for it with his six RBI’s and OPS of .968. If he continues to hit at this pace, Turner will have no problem replicating last year’s numbers and possibly exceeding them.

Not only is Turner a leader on the field, he is a leader in the clubhouse. Yasiel Puig made a point to say so on Sunday during an interview with Bill Plunkett of the Southern California News Group.

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"“He’s always talking to me in the cage, pushing me to be better,” Puig said. “He’s always the one who talks in meetings and helps out his teammates. He’s a big leader on this team.”"

Turner has become more than an All-Star caliber third baseman for this team. He gives the team a veteran that younger players can rely on and look to as an example. Turner was called the “heart and soul of the Dodgers” by A.J Ellis when he was traded to the Phillies last season, and has proven time and time again that these words are right.

Since Justin Turner’s emergence with the Dodgers, he has become a team leader, fan favorite, and an All-star Caliber player. If he is able to produce at the same level as he is now, Turner will have a spot on the team for the rest of his career.

Next: Battle for LA

His knowledge of the game has been a key factor in his rise. An example of this is him changing his swing to create more fly balls. Expect to see Justin Turner at the hot corner for years to come in LA. As for 2017, look for Turner to get a nod for the All-Star team and be the leader that keeps the Dodgers going, hopefully through to the World Series.