| Justin Turner | |
|---|---|
 Turner with theLos Angeles Dodgers in 2017 | |
| Free agent | |
| Infielder /Designated hitter | |
| Born: (1984-11-23)November 23, 1984 (age 41) Long Beach, California, U.S. | |
Bats: Right Throws: Right | |
| MLB debut | |
| September 8, 2009, for the Baltimore Orioles | |
| MLB statistics (through 2025 season) | |
| Batting average | .283 |
| Hits | 1,617 |
| Home runs | 201 |
| Runs batted in | 832 |
Stats atBaseball Reference  | |
| Teams | |
| Career highlights and awards | |
| |
Justin Matthew Turner (born November 23, 1984), nicknamed "RedTurn2,"[1] is an American professionalbaseballinfielder anddesignated hitter who is a free agent. He has played inMajor League Baseball (MLB) for theBaltimore Orioles,New York Mets,Los Angeles Dodgers,Boston Red Sox,Toronto Blue Jays,Seattle Mariners, andChicago Cubs.
Turner playedcollege baseball for theCal State Fullerton Titans. He was selected in the seventh round of the2006 MLB draft by theCincinnati Reds and made his major league debut in 2009 with Baltimore. With the Dodgers, Turner was anAll-Star in 2017 and 2021 and won the2017 National League Championship SeriesMost Valuable Player Award. He won the2020 World Series with the Dodgers. He won theRoberto Clemente Award in 2022 for his philanthropic work.
Justin Turner was born inLong Beach, California, to John and Betsy Turner.[2][3] He has one younger sister.[4]
Turner attendedMayfair High School inLakewood, California, earning three-time All-Suburban first-team honors as a shortstop andsecond baseman.
He attendedCalifornia State University, Fullerton, where he majored inkinesiology and playedcollege baseball for theTitans. He earned freshmanAll-American honors fromBaseball America in 2003 after quickly taking over as the starting second baseman. He was named to the2003 College World Series all-tournament team as a shortstop. During the CWS, Turner was hit in the face by a fastball after going 3-for-3 including a home run.[4] The next year, Cal State Fullerton won a two-game final overTexas in the2004 College World Series.[4]
In 2005, he playedcollegiate summer baseball in theCape Cod Baseball League for theYarmouth-Dennis Red Sox.[5][6]
Turner was selected in the 29th round of the2005 Major League Baseball draft by theNew York Yankees, although he did not sign.
He was selected in the seventh round (204th overall) of the2006 Major League Baseball draft by theCincinnati Reds, receiving a $50,000 bonus upon signing with the organization.[7][8]
Turner reported to the Reds'Rookie League affiliate, theBillings Mustangs, where he saw time at all four infield positions and in the outfield, finishing the season with a team-leading .338batting average and a .921OPS.[9] He was promoted to Double-AChattanooga within two years, finishing the 2008 season, at age 23, with a .289 average and a .792 OPS at that level.[9]
On December 9, 2008, during theWinter Meetings, Turner was traded, along with utility playerRyan Freel and infielder Brandon Waring to theBaltimore Orioles, in return forcatcherRamón Hernández.[10] He was invited tospring training as anon-roster invitee; upon its conclusion, he was assigned to Triple-ANorfolk for the2009 season. Playing mostly second andthird base, he finished the year with a .300 average and a .749 OPS.[9]
The Orioles purchased Turner's contract on September 8, 2009.[8] He made his major league debut that day atFenway Park, pinch hitting forMelvin Mora and finishing the game at third base.[11] Turner got his first major league hit atYankee Stadium, a single to center field offMichael Dunn.[12] He finished the season batting 3-for-18, having appeared in 12 games, with three starts at third base.[13]
Turner was invited to spring training as a member of the 40-man roster but was demoted to Norfolk at the end of camp. However, on April 12, 2010, the Orioles placed starting second basemanBrian Roberts on the 15-dayinjured list and recalled Turner from Norfolk.[14] On May 21, 2010, Turner wasdesignated for assignment by theBaltimore Orioles.[8] In 17 games with the Orioles, he hit .111 (three hits in 27 at-bats).[15]
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On May 25, 2010, Turner was claimed off waivers from the Orioles by theNew York Mets and optioned to Triple-ABuffalo. On June 16, Turner was called up to the Mets, withNick Evans being sent down to Buffalo.[16] He had one hit in eight at bats with the Mets.[15]
After designatingBrad Emaus for assignment on April 19, 2011, the Mets called Turner back up.[17] He hit his first major league home run against theHouston Astros on May 15, 2011, offAneury Rodriguez. A three-run home run, it capped off a five-RBI day for Turner.[18] On May 21, in aSubway Series game atYankee Stadium, Turner collected an RBI in his seventh consecutive game, setting a Mets rookie record for most consecutive games with an RBI.[19] With this record and other impressive stats, Turner was named theNL Rookie of the Month for May 2011.[20] He was the first Met to win the award since its creation in 2001.[20]
In 2012, the Mets converted him to an all-aroundutility infielder but on May 6, 2012, when shortstopRuben Tejada went on the injured list, Turner began platooning at shortstop withJordany Valdespin until Tejada returned.
After the 2013 season, Turner was non-tendered by the Mets, making him a free agent.[21] In 301 games with the Mets over four seasons, he hit .265/.326/370.[15]
Following his release from the Mets,Los Angeles Dodgers bench coachTim Wallach saw Turner hitting at a Cal State Fullerton alumni game.[22] Turner signed a minor league contract with the Dodgers on February 5, 2014,[8] with an invitation to spring training. His contract was purchased by the Dodgers on March 16 and he was added to the Major League roster.[23]
In 2014, Turner played 109 games due to his versatility and injuries to bothHanley Ramírez andJuan Uribe. Turner led the team with a .340 batting average, hitting seven home runs with 43 RBI in 288 at bats.[15]
On January 16, 2015, Turner signed a one-year, $2.5 million contract with the Dodgers, avoiding salary arbitration.[8][24] He became the starting third baseman for much of the 2015 season and hit .294 with a career-high 16 homers and 60 RBI.[15]
In the2015 National League Division Series against his former team, the Mets, Turner led the Dodgers with 10 hits in 19 ABs for a .526 average, with an LDS record six of those hits being doubles. The Dodgers, however, went on to lose the series.[25] After the post-season, he underwent arthroscopic surgery on his left knee.[26] He signed a new one year, $5.1 million, contract with the Dodgers in order to avoidsalary arbitration in January 2016.[27]
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In 2016, Turner played in a career-high 151 games, and also had career highs in home runs (27) and RBI (90), while batting .275.[15] He had six hits (including a home run) in 15 at-bats in the2016 National League Division Series, but struggled in the2016 National League Championship Series, hitting only .200.[15]
On December 23, 2016, the Dodgers signed Turner to a four-year contract valued at $64 million.[28] Turner started the 2017 season batting .379 before going on the injured list with a strained right hamstring, which kept him out of action from May 18 through June 9.[29] On July 6, he won theAll-Star Final Vote, earning a spot in the2017 Major League Baseball All-Star Game with 20.8 million votes, a Final Vote record.[30] Turner finished the season with a .322 batting average, a .415 on-base percentage, 21 home runs, and 71 RBI, finishing third in the NL in batting average and second in on-base percentage.[15] In the2017 NLDS, he had six hits in 13 at-bats (.462 average). Turner andChris Taylor were selected as the co-MVPs of the2017 National League Championship Series,[31] where he batted .333 with two home runs and seven RBI, including a winning home run in the ninth inning of Game 2 against the Chicago Cubs.[15] However, in the2017 World Series, he had only four hits in 25 at-bats, for a .160 average as the Dodgers lost to theHouston Astros in seven games.[15] The Astros later were revealed to have beenillegally stealing signs during the 2017 season, including that World Series. Turner brokeDusty Baker's franchise record for most RBI in a single post-season when he drove in his 14th run in Game One of the World Series.[32]
Turner was hit by a pitch on his left wrist during aspring training game on March 19, 2018. He suffered a non-displaced fracture, which did not require surgery but put him on the injured list to begin the season.[33] Turner did not rejoin the Dodgers until May 15.[34] Turner also missed time following theAll-Star break, but rebounded in August and September. He was voted the National League Player of the Month for August after batting .402 (39-for-97) with 22 runs, 11 doubles, one triple, six home runs, 20 RBIs, and a stolen base across August 25 games.[35] On September 4, 2018, Turner was named the Los Angeles Dodgers' 2018 nominee for theRoberto Clemente Award, an annual award given to the player who "best exemplifies the game ofbaseball,sportsmanship, andcommunity involvement." In 202 at-bats after the All-Star break, Turner hit .356 with a 1.066 OPS, 24 doubles, and nine home runs. Turner would finish the season with a .312 batting average, 14 home runs, and 52 RBIs.[15] Turner's hot streak continued in the2018 NLDS, where he reached base in nine of 18 plate appearances. He went on to hit .333 (8-for-24) in the2018 World Series, which his team lost to theBoston Red Sox.[15]
Turner hit a career-high three home runs and drove in six runs against theAtlanta Braves on May 8 in a 9–0 win.[36] On June 14, he hit his 100th career home run, offKyle Hendricks, in a 5–3 win against theChicago Cubs.[37]
For the season, Turner batted .290/.372/.509 with 27 home runs and 67 RBIs.[15] On defense in 2019, he had -3Defensive Runs Saved (DRS), the 13th-lowest among the 17 qualifying third basemen.[38]
The 2020 season was delayed by theCOVID-19 pandemic, shortening the season to only 60 games. On Opening Day, Turner was hit with a pitch for the 73rd time as a Dodger, tying the franchise record set byZack Wheat.[39] He broke that record on August 5 in San Diego.[40] He was hampered during the season by a hamstring strain that caused him to miss two weeks of the shortened season.[41]
Turner played in 42 games for the Dodgers, hitting .307/.400/.460 with four homers and 23 RBIs.[15] He was voted by his teammates as the winner of theRoy Campanella Award, the first three-time winner in franchise history.[41] Turner was hitless in eight at-bats in thefirst round playoff series.[15] In the third game of the2020 National League Division Series, Turner moved pastSteve Garvey for the most playoff hits in Dodgers franchise history with his 64th.[42] He had two hits and two RBI in 10 at-bats in the series.[15] Turner had seven hits, including a home run, in 25 at-bats in the2020 National League Championship Series[15] and advanced to play in his third World Series.
In the2020 World Series, against theTampa Bay Rays, Turner had eight hits (including two home runs) in 25 at-bats as the Dodgers won the championship.[15] During the eighth inning of Game 6, he was pulled from the game because he had tested positive forCOVID-19,[43][44][45] before returning to the field to take the official celebratory photo with his teammates and staff,[46] in violation of MLB protocols, leading to criticism from many in the media. Turner apologized for his actions a few days later.[47]
On February 19, 2021, Turner re-signed with the Dodgers on a two-year, $34 million contract, with a $14 million option for a third year.[48]
On August 29, 2021, Turner made his pitching debut in the ninth inning of the Dodgers' 5–0 loss to the Colorado Rockies.[49] He threw 10 pitches (his fastest was 76 mph) for all three outs, gave up no runs, and exited the game to a standing ovation.[49][50] In 2021, Turner played in 151 games with a .278 batting average, 27 home runs and 87 RBI.[15] Turner struggled in the postseason, with only four hits in 38 at-bats (one home run) in theWild Card,NLDS andNLCS.[15] He strained his hamstring while running to first base in Game 4 of the NLCS and was ruled out of appearing in any future playoff games in 2021.[51]
In 2022, Turner split his time between third base and designated hitter, appearing in 128 games and batting .278 with 13 homers and 81 RBIs, appearing in 66 games as a third baseman, and 62 games as a DH.[15] He had the slowest sprint speed of any major league third baseman, at 25.0 feet per second.[52] On November 10, the Dodgers declined his $16 million option for the 2023 season, making him a free agent.[53]
On January 6, 2023, Turner signed a one-year contract with theBoston Red Sox, with a player option for 2024.[54] He would earn $15 million for one season.[55] In 146 games, he hit .276 with 23 home runs and 96 RBI, appearing mostly at DH with some infield appearances.[56] He had the third-slowest sprint speed of any major league DH and was the 16th slowest batter, at 25.2 feet per second.[57][58] On November 3, he opted out of his contract and became a free agent.[59]
On January 30, 2024, Turner signed a one-year, $13 million contract with theToronto Blue Jays.[60] In 2024, he was the 5th-oldest player in the American League.[61] Turner played in 91 games for the Blue Jays, batting .250/.350/.372 with 6 home runs and 31 RBI.
On July 29, 2024, Turner was traded to theSeattle Mariners for minor leaguerRJ Schreck.[62][63] In 48 games with Seattle, he batted .264/.363/.403 with five home runs and 24 RBI.[64]
On February 20, 2025, Turner signed a one-year, $6 million contract with theChicago Cubs.[65] On July 8, Turner hit his 200th career home run off ofJoey Wentz.[66] On August 3, in the bottom of the 9th inning, Turner hit his firstwalk-off home run off ofKeegan Akin in a 5-3 win over theBaltimore Orioles.[67] Turner's mutual option with the Cubs for 2026 was declined on November 6, making him a free agent.[68]
Turner married his longtime girlfriend Kourtney Pogue in December 2017.[69] Their wedding, which took place at a beachfront resort in Mexico, was officiated byOrel Hershiser,[70] former Dodger pitcher and current broadcaster.[71] Turner and his wife reside inStudio City.[72] Their son, Bo Jordan Turner, was born in July 2024.[73][74]
Turner and his wife founded the Justin Turner Foundation, a501(c)3 organization that benefits homeless veterans, children battling life-altering illnesses, and various youth baseball organizations. The foundation hosts an annual charity golf tournament; is an official charity for theLA Marathon; and partners with theDream Center, 17Strong, and Paralyzed Veterans of America. The Los Angeles City Council declared January 22, 2019 "Justin Turner Day" in honor of Turner's civic contributions.[75] He was also awarded theRoberto Clemente Award in 2022 after his fifth career nomination for his humanitarian actions.[76]
Turner was the most endorsed MLB athlete in 2024 with 20 deals, ahead of then-Mariners teammateJulio Rodríguez andArizona DiamondbacksCorbin Carroll, according to a report by Sponsor United.[77][78]
In June 2024, Turner became a part-owner and ambassador for Beard Club.[79] Turner's red beard and infield position led to his nickname "RedTurn2" and inspired his social media username, "Redturn2."[1]
With 20 active deals—up from 8 in 2023—MLB veteran Justin Turner has solidified his status as the league's most endorsed player in 2024. His brand appeal is driven by a strong social media presence, where he leads the league in total posts and ranks among the top 10 most engaging MLB players.
