A closer look at Mariners trade acquisition Justin Turner

Jul 29, 2024, 2:59 PM | Updated: 3:25 pm

Seattle Mariners trade Justin Turner Toronto Blue Jays 2024...

Justin Turner hits a double for the Toronto Blue Jays on Friday. (Cole Burston/Getty Images)

(Cole Burston/Getty Images)

Seattle Sports

The Seattle Mariners added another bat to their lineup ahead of Tuesday afternoon’s trade deadline, acquiring veteran designated hitter/corner infielder Justin Turner from the Toronto Blue Jays on Monday afternoon.

Mariners acquire Justin Turner in deal with Blue Jays

The move comes after Seattle traded for Tampa Bay Rays outfielder Randy Arozarena on Thursday night and acquired Blue Jays reliever Yimi García on Friday.

What are the Mariners getting in the 39-year-old Turner? Here’s a closer look at the former two-time All-Star.

A strong track record

Turner brings a consistent history of production. Over the course of his 16-year MLB career, he has a .286/.363/.460 slash line with 193 homers and a .823 OPS in 1,628 games with the Orioles, Mets, Dodgers, Red Sox and Blue Jays.

Turner’s best years came during his nine seasons with the Dodgers between 2014 and 2022. He batted .296 with 156 homers and an .866 OPS over that span, while posting at least a 120 OPS+ in all nine of those seasons. He starred in the Dodgers’ run to the World Series title in 2020, earning National League Championship Series MVP honors on his way to hitting three homers and six doubles that postseason.

Turner’s numbers have dipped the past two years, but he still posted a 114 OPS+ with Boston last season and a 106 OPS+ with Toronto this season. He’s hitting .254/.349/.371 with six homers and a .720 OPS in 89 games this year.

A hot bat

After a good start to the season, Turner struggled to a .111 batting average in May. But he’s rebounded with a strong past two months, hitting .301 with two homers, seven doubles and an .800 OPS in 39 games since the start of June.

Turner has swung a particularly hot bat over the past week, hitting 13 for 23 with one homer and two doubles in six games against the Rays and Rangers. He’ll certainly be a welcomed addition to a sputtering Mariners lineup that mustered just 14 runs in eight games prior to their 22-run outburst during this weekend’s three-game series against the Chicago White Sox.

A contact-hitting approach

The Mariners’ strikeout woes have been well-documented. They currently lead the majors with a 27.7% strikeout rate, which is nearly two full percentage points above the next-closest team.

Turner should help alleviate that, at least to some degree. He has just a 17.3% strikeout rate this season, which is lower than any regular hitter in the Mariners’ lineup aside from Víctor Robles.

Turner also has just a 16.4% whiff rate, which sits in the 91st percentile of all major leaguers, according to Statcast. His 11.2% walk rate is in the 82nd percentile and his strikeout rate is in the 76th percentile.

Turner has just six homers this year and his exit velocity sits in just the 16th percentile, but his ability to limit strikeouts and hit for average should definitely enhance Seattle’s lineup.