Fans, writers, and teams tend to get overly excited when a player gets off to a fast start. This exact thing has happened with Justin Turner. He has been on fire since his first appearance this year on April 19th against the Houston Astros.
In 21 games, Turner has hit .333 with a .492 SLG%. He also has 15 RBI and he set ht Mets rookie record with an RBI in seven consecutive games. Turner has looked pretty good defensively whether at second base or third. While he has not played at shortstop for the Mets this year, Turner has played there in the minors.
It seems like it may become an unfortunate reality that the Mets will trade Jose Reyes this year. If the team is not in contention, Reyes will be traded for prospects that can help the team in the future.
Obviously, replacing Reyes would be an impossible task. Ruben Tejada does not seem to be a long-term solution. The Mets don’t have any great options in the minors. Wilmer Flores is more destined to play in either a corner infield or outfield position. But, there is a chance that Turner can be the Mets next shortstop.
Turner is just 26 years old and could have a bright future with the Mets. He was a career .309 hitter in the minors and through his short time in the majors this year he has shown that he can hit major league pitching.
While Turner will never be a superstar like Reyes, he can be a solid everyday player. He has the potential to hit 10-15 home runs a year while hitting around .290.
With the way the Mets season has been going, it is time to think about the future. Turner should be part of that future and if Jose Reyes is not with the team next year, Turner’s future could be at shortstop.
