Justin Turner has had an incredible postseason, and there is no need to debate this statement. However, can you believe he’s doing things that the Babe Ruth and Lou Gehrig did not? Well, believe in that beard and check this out.
Justin Turner Postseason Performance: The Beard can Get on Base
As the Los Angeles Dodgers downed the Chicago Cubs 11-1 in their final game of the season, Turner solidified his name in the record books. After reaching base in all four of his plate appearances that included two walks and an 8th-inning home run, Turner reached 101 postseason plate appearances. In those 101 plate appearances, Turner has an On-Base Percentage (OBP) of .495. Thar mark officially put the Dodger third-basemen at the top of the all-time postseason OBP above the likes of Ruth and Gehrig.
Ryan Spaeder shared the accomplishment on Twitter:
Highest career #postseason OBP, requiring at least 100 plate appearances:
1. Justin Turner – .495
2. Lou Gehrig – .483
3. Babe Ruth – .470 pic.twitter.com/rQPsPGmtW2— Ryan M. Spaeder (@theaceofspaeder) October 19, 2017
It was Game 2 of the NLCS against the Cubs that the Dodgers won 4-1 where Turner drove in all four runs. His RBI single in the 5th inning knotted the score at one followed by his 3-run walk-off homerun to win it for Los Angeles. With that in mind, it is safe to say Turner’s at-bats have been about more than just reaching base for the Dodgers. In his postseason career, Justin Turner has hit .379 with 5 HRs and 24 RBI in 26 games. The incredible series by Justin Turner earned him the NLCS co-MVP honors with his teammate Chris Taylor.
Turner’s Regular Season and World Series Matchup
This should not be a surprise to people as Turner has emerged as one of the league’s premier hitters. During the regular season, Turner racked up numbers that seemed to fly under the radar. In 130 games, the third baseman hit for .322 with 32 HRs, 71 RBI, and set career-highs in OBP and OPS (.415 .945 respectively).
This World Series will be a treat at the hot corner. Fans will get to see one of the game’s best in Turner against the rising star and shortstop-turned-third base in Houston’s Alex Bregman. The 2015 second overall pick has shifted nicely to third base for the Astros. The move was made due to the irremovable talent of Carlos Correa at short. It was a good season for the future stud with Bregman posting a .284 BA with 19 HRs. He played a major part in the 101-win season of the Astros making key plays both offensively and defensively.
Looking Ahead
This is the first time the Dodgers will play for the World Series since 1988. For the Houston Astros, it has only been 12 years since the 2005 World Series where they faced off against the Chicago White Sox. Yes you read that right. The Astros were still a part of the National League West division at that time.
The red-hot Turner and the Dodgers open things up Tuesday at home for Game 1 of the World Series. A pair of lefties take the mound as the Dodgers will send out Clayton Kershaw to face Dallas Keuchel and the Astros. It looks as though Los Angeles will get Corey Seager back after missing the NLCS with a back injury. The Dodgers are undefeated in 2017 home playoff games going 4-0. Meanwhile, the Astros are 1-4 on the road this postseason.
Main Photo:
Embed from Getty Images
