Aside from perhaps MVP Shohei Ohtani, no one had a more memorable World Baseball Classic than Trea Turner of Team USA.
Following Turner's historic glow-up in the spring international showcase, his spikes and a batting glove from the WBC have found a new forever home at the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum in Cooperstown.
A huge shoutout to @treavturner, who donated his spikes and a batting glove from the @WBCBaseball to the Hall of Fame. The @Phillies star led Team USA and all WBC batters with five home runs. pic.twitter.com/Ot6RqD8SBu
— National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum ⚾ (@baseballhall) March 22, 2023
Japan also contributed several game-used items to the Hall, including Ohtani's hat from Tuesday's championship showdown.
Shohei Ohtani starred on the world’s stage, and the cap the @WBCBaseball MVP wore in Tuesday night’s championship game is among several Team Japan and Team USA artifacts headed for Cooperstown.https://t.co/lje9PMbh2y pic.twitter.com/q9Acg5mgCc
— National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum ⚾ (@baseballhall) March 22, 2023
For his part, Turner posted an insane triple-slash in the tournament, batting .391/.440/.1.043 with five homers and 11 RBI across six games played. Those five home runs tied Korea's Seung Yuop Lee for the most ever slugged in a single WBC.
The 29-year-old Turner had more than one standout performance during the WBC, too. In the quarterfinal against Venezuela, Turner socked a game-winning grand slam. He then went on to crush a pair of home runs in a blowout semifinals win over Cuba.
Turner continued his hot streak when it came to the endgame, putting the U.S. on the board with yet another home run in the top of the second inning. Team USA could only muster one more run the rest of the way out, though, ultimately falling to Ohtani and Japan by a 3-2 final score.
U-S-TREA! U-S-TREA!
— FOX Sports: MLB (@MLBONFOX) March 21, 2023
He has done it again!! USA leads 1-0! pic.twitter.com/VRW8zq8Dba
With the WBC in the books, the two-time All-Star's focus will now turn to the upcoming season, his first with the Philadelphia Phillies after he signed a massive 11-year, $300 million free-agent contract with the Club in December.
Last season with the Los Angeles Dodgers, Turner earned a National League All-Star nod before finishing up the campaign to hit .298/.343/.466 with 21 home runs, 100 RBI and 45 stolen bases in 160 games.
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