Trea Turner’s career gets even more decorated with surprising Emmy win for MLB documentary role

Trea Turner has already checked off some of baseball’s biggest accomplishments in his 11-year career—an NL batting title and a World Series championship among them. But now, the Philadelphia Phillies’ shortstop finds himself associated with an entirely different kind of accolade—an Emmy Award.

Trea Turner isn’t just a baseball champ—now he’s an Emmy winner too

While Turner doesn’t personally own the Emmy, he proudly hoisted it ahead of the Phillies’ game against the Toronto Blue Jays in celebration of The Turnaround, a short sports documentary that captured his dramatic 2023 mid-season revival. The film, which documented how Philadelphia fans rallied around the struggling star, took home the Sports Emmy for Best Short Documentary in May.“Trea Turner’s an Emmy winner, absolutely,” said Kyle Thrash, the film’s director.

“He definitely held it up like he owned it.”

At the core of the documentary is Jon McCann—known by fans as "The Philly Captain"—whose mental health journey and emotional connection with Turner served as a powerful narrative thread. After batting practice, McCann shook Turner’s hand and beamed, “Cuz, we did it, huh?! Trea Turner, we share an Emmy together.”In August 2023, Turner’s first season under an 11-year, $300 million contract had hit a rough patch.

He was batting just .238, had only 11 home runs, and had been demoted to eighth in the lineup. The Phillies fan base, notorious for its tough love, decided to rally behind him instead. During a home series against the Kansas City Royals, they gave Turner repeated standing ovations—something rarely seen in Philly for underperforming stars.The support sparked something remarkable. Over that weekend series, Turner responded with a 4-for-12 performance that included two doubles, a home run, and five RBIs.

His momentum carried through the rest of the season, helping lead the Phillies into the playoffs.To return the love, Turner later funded digital billboards across Philadelphia that simply read “Thank You, Philly.”“It’s pretty incredible,” Thrash said. “We get to bring a trophy back to the ballpark tonight and share it with so many people that were involved in the standing ovation.”The documentary was produced by Higher Ground, the media company founded by Barack and Michelle Obama, adding another layer of prestige to the project.During the Emmy ceremony, McCann recalled bracing for disappointment. “During the ceremony, one of the award presenters said, ‘When you go up against the Olympics, you lose.’ So I kind of thought we already lost,” he said. “We didn’t. It was a great, great shock.”In a season filled with drama, resilience, and connection, Turner’s story was no longer just about baseball. Thanks to the city that believed in him and a documentary that captured it all, his comeback earned more than redemption—it earned an Emmy.Also Read: Reds pitcher Wade Miley accused of supplying drugs to late Angels star Tyler Skaggs in shocking court docs