Former NC State star Trea Turner is completing his fifth season with the Washington Nationals, filling the same key roles — batting leadoff and playing shortstop — which he manned so well for the Wolfpack from 2012-14.
It’s been an especially eventful past year for Turner, who last Nov. 10 married his college sweetheart, former Wolfpack gymnast Kristen Harabedian. On the field, Turner is fifth in the majors with 31 stolen bases this season, and he is batting .301 with 13 homers.
Now 26, he recently sat down with The Wolfpacker to discuss life in the big leagues.
When did you sense that you were in the major leagues to stay and be an everyday player?
“It was probably in 2016. I got up here in 2015 [appearing in 27 games, starting eight], but didn’t play all that well and knew I could have played better. The following year I played well consistently enough to start basically every day. That felt good.
“But baseball’s a humbling game, so you never get too comfortable. Every time you think you’ve got it figured out, you go zero for your next 15, and then you’re making adjustments trying to get back on track.”
Some guys appear to struggle in adjusting to hitting with a wooden bat after having for years hit with aluminum. How’s that been for you?
“The key is to find a model that suits you. Growing up with aluminum bats, you really just have three choices. With wood bats, you have a million of them. Fortunately I was able to find one that fits my swing fairly quickly.”
How do you feel about all of the analytics that tend to more seemingly influence on a daily basis how the game’s played and perceived?
“I think some of the analytics have value and some don’t. Some of them, like exit velocity, get too much attention. And some of the defensive stats don’t do much for me.
“Plus, I don’t think they make you necessarily a better player. If someone, from the naked eye, can hit and play defense and the stats match up, then for me the analytics play."
Off the field, what’s the largest obstacle to succeeding at baseball’s highest level?
“For me, it’s taking care of the body. Hydration and sleep are my keys. We know so much more now about how to take care of ourselves.
“We eat a lot healthier now — we eat the right things and we drink the right things. Up here, everything’s available for you. If you want to, you can eat all three meals at the ballpark.”
What’s a typical day like on the road when you have a game that night?
“If we’ve played the night before, I probably didn’t get to sleep until 1 or 2 — it’s hard to wind down after a game. I’ll usually sleep in until 11 or 12, then maybe grab some breakfast out, walk around a bit and maybe see a site.
"When we’re on the road I can get to the field later because we take batting practice later.”
Among the many benefits of playing in the majors is that you have a choice of two bus times to get you to the ballpark when you’re in a visiting city. Which way do you roll?
“I’m a first-bus guy and always have been because I hate being late. Even in college I always showed up early – you can ask Coach [Elliott] Avent and Coach [Chris] Hart. I like being one of the first ones there and getting my work in without having to be rushed.”
You hear guys talk about the dog days of summer for a baseball player, and you’re late into this season. What’s it like for you?
“Some days it’s like, ‘Wow, I feel exhausted.’ Other days, I feel good. It goes in and out without a lot of rhyme and reason.
“In college we had fewer games. We had practices and classes, but that’s not the same thing as playing most every day, which we do up here. The key is to get as much rest as you can and eat and drink well. I’m better at all that than I used to be.”
You’ve now been to most of the big-league cities. Do you have a favorite or two?
“New York’s probably my favorite city, because there’s so much to see and do. Every time we go there it feels different … You’re going to a new restaurant or seeing a new show.
“I like being able to do different things when we go back to a city we’ve been to before, and we go to New York so much.
“San Diego’s a great city, but we only get there once a year. The same with Los Angeles, which I love because it’s so big. The bigger the city the more the variety of things you can do.”
What’s the best hitters’ ballpark that you’ve visited?
“It’s Colorado without a doubt. It’s the best because it’s the biggest — there are hits everywhere in that outfield. Cincinnati is next because the ball just jumps there, and the park’s small.
“Atlanta feels like a big ballpark to me, though the ball carries there. Dodger Stadium’s a tough hitter’s park to me, though the Dodgers seem to like it.
“I think a lot of its personal preference. If you go somewhere once a year, play three games and go hitless, you’ll not going to have a good feeling about the place. We played at Detroit this year — that was my first time there — and it felt like a really big place.”
(Editor’s note: Turner was 1-for-14 in the three-game series against the Tigers.)
You spent three years at NC State. Outside of meeting Kristen, what do you most fondly remember?
“Getting to the College World Series [in 2013, when the Wolfpack finished the season 50-16] sticks out, obviously. Making it to Omaha is every college player’s goal, so that was pretty special.
“The relationships with the coaches and my teammates, I’ll never forget those. And I really like Raleigh — it’s a great city — and our campus, which is beautiful.”
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