Former Phillies 1B Ryan Howard hopped on MLB Network a few days back and compared newest Phillie Trea Turner to one of the best infielders in Phillies history.

Ryan Howard Compares Trea Turner to Chase Utley

“Trea Turner…who to me is a very sneaky, impact player. Philly knows from playing against him; it reminds me a lot of Chase Utley. He has that grit; he’s going to bring that hardnose play to the field. He’s going to score 100 runs, steal 100 bases, and probably hit somewhere close to 25-30 homers, and play gold glove-caliber defense as well. I love that pickup.”-Ryan Howard

Utley and Turner do have very similar games, as they both take on that quick, flashy, and all-around role as a middle-infielder. Utley’s best season as a Phillie came in 2008, where he played 159 games, slashing .292/.380/.535. He cracked 33 HRs and 104 RBIs throughout the ’08 season, tallying 177 hits, the second most hits of his career in one season.

Chase Utley posted a career .282 average in 13 years with the Phillies, cracking over 200 HRs and 900 RBIs. He’s a 6x All-Star, 4x Silver Slugger, and a World Series Champion, compared to Turner, who has racked up 2 Silver Slugger awards, 2 ASG appearances, and one ring to his name.

The Phillies will now run a middle infield highlighted by Trea Turner and Bryson Stott, who have the chance to become a deadly defensive and offensive duo up the middle for the Phillies. Turner’s glove is great, and Bryson Stott flashed some serious leather throughout 2022 in just his first year as a pro.

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