Photo: Mary DeCicco/WBCI/MLB Photos/Getty
Trea Turneris a name to remember.
The pro baseball player is proving to be something of a hero at the 2023World Baseball Classic, where his slugging performance has helped lead Team USA to several decisive victories.
In the span of two nights, Turner has turned into a home run machine, becoming thesecond player to complete a multi-homer gamein World Baseball Classic history for Team USA (he joins Ken Griffey Jr., who did it first in 2006). During Saturday night’s quarterfinals, Turner hit a game-winning grand slam, cementing the team’s comeback win against Venezuela. Adding to his tally, Turner hit two more home runs on Sunday night against Cuba, helping Team USA secure a 14-2 victory to send them to the final.
The Philadelphia Phillies shortstop isn’t focused on breaking records, however. “I’m just trying to win with these guys,” he said during a press conference Sunday. “I think that’s why we are here. We don’t care who does what. We want to win. That stuff’s pretty cool. I always say that those individual things are for my family. I know they’re proud of me, and that stuff’s for them. But for me, I just like winning. I like playing baseball, competing and coming out on top.”
Known for his speed, Turner has been a standout in the MLB since he was drafted in 2014, but his turn on Team USA is cementing his place in baseball history books — and he still has another game to go.
From his baseball career to his family life, here’s everything to know about World Baseball Classic star Trea Turner.
He delayed his professional career and was drafted in 2014
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The Major Leagues had their eye on Turner from an early start. In 2011, when the young shortstop graduated fromPark Vista Community High Schoolin Lake Worth, Florida, the Pittsburgh Pirates drafted him in the 20th round. But Turner opted for college instead and played ball forthree years at North Carolina State, where he alsostudied chemical engineering.
“I knew I wanted to go to college,” heshared in 2018. “I didn’t know if I’d get drafted, so my decision at first wasn’t really that hard until I got drafted, and then you’ve got to think about it more.”
Turner became the top shortstop to sign in 2014, and the San Diego Padres selected him in the first round of the 2014 Major League Baseball draft. During the offseason, the Padres traded him to the Washington Nationals in 2015.
He made his Major League debut in 2015
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On Aug. 21, 2015, Turner made hismajor league debutin the nation’s capital with the Nationals. As a National, he played several positions, including center field, second base and hispreferred positionof shortstop.
In 2019, he was a part of the Nationals team that won theirfirst World Series Championshipin franchise history. Two years later, he wastraded to the Los Angeles Dodgerson July 30, 2021, where he played shortstop and second base. On Sept. 26, 2021, Turner recorded his100th career home runagainst the Arizona Diamondbacks. The following season, Turner earned his1,000th career hiton Aug. 29, 2022.
He signed an 11-year contract with the Philadelphia Phillies
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He has quite the record book already
Aside from racking up accolades at the World Baseball Classic, Turner already has quite the impressive resume. He is one of the fastest runners in the MLB, having been clocked at 22.7 miles per hour twice. He also had the fastest sprint speed of all major league players in 2021 at30.7 feet/second.
He met his wife in college
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While attending NC State, Turner met his wife, Kristen Harabedian, a gymnast for the Wolfpacks. The pair dated throughout college, and in 2017, Turner got down on one knee and proposed to Harabedian. The MLB player shared aphotofrom the moment on Instagram, writing in the caption, “She tried her hardest to screw up my plan for the night, but I wouldn’t want to spend the rest of my life with anyone else! Love you to the moon and back!”
After six years of dating, the twomarriedin November 2018 in Washington, D.C.
Kristen Turner Instagram
On Aug. 8, 2020, the Turners announced they were expecting their first child. The shortstop shared the news on Instagram, posting aphotoof him and Harabedian holding up an ultrasound and a tiny Turner baseball jersey.
On Feb. 12, 2021, the couple welcomed their sonBeckham Dash Turner. Beckham is already one of his father’s biggest fans, and regularly travels with Harabedian to see Turner play. Shortly after Turner’s trade to the Phillies was announced, Harabedian posted aphotoof now-2-year-old Beckham in a Philadelphia 76ers basketball jersey. “Little man is ready 💪🏼,” she captioned the snap.
source: people.com
