'Hart of the Order'
By Sean Hartnett

Who could have predicted that journeyman infielder Justin Turner would take the major leagues by storm in 2011?  The 26-year old rookie grabbed his shot at The show with both hands by delivering a number of stellar performances in a Mets' uniform since his April 19^th call-up.  As the Subway Series approaches, Turner will have the opportunity to show fans on a national level the winning spark he's provided the Amazin's for over a month.

Most recently, his clutch play allowed the Mets to complete a two-game sweep over the Nationals.  Turner drove in the winning run on Thursday to preserve Dillon Gee's splendid effort of seven and two-third innings of shutout ball.  He also made a difficult catch near the third base wall, further capturing the hearts of the 'Flushing faithful.'

Turner's two-run double on Wednesday validated Jon Niese's superb outing of seven shutout innings as the Mets marched on to a 3-0 victory.  His best moment may have been in a 5 RBI outburst against the Astros on May 15^th where his fifth-inning two-run double sparked a Mets' rally and he later collected his first career home run. Turner has undoubtedly made a seamless transition to the big leagues.

Why has it taken the Mets so long to give him this shot?

Previously, Turner wasn't a household name to most fans but it's puzzling why it took this long for him to earn a regular place on a major league roster.  At every level across three minor league organizations (Reds, Orioles and Mets) he's been a consistent .300 plus hitter with a good amount of pop.  After a brief 4-game stint in Queens last July, Turner found himself back in the minors at Triple-A Buffalo.  He continued his hot-hitting ways, batting .333 with 11 home runs through 78 games for the Bisons, yet a September call-up eluded him.  Even going 6-for-6 and hitting for the cycle in his final AAA appearance wasn't enough to earn a re-call to the majors in 2010.

It wasn't like Ruben Tejada was lighting up Citi Field in his debut season, batting a mere .213 with a lone homer and 15 RBI in 78 games last season.  Between the young Tejada 'learning on the fly,' the combined ineptitude of Alex Cora, Luis Hernandez and Joaquin Arias – second base was a revolving door of misfits last year.  And that's without even mentioning the name that still brings shivers down the neck of any Met fan, Luis Castillo.  It seemed that Turner was destined to be one of those 'Four-A' players who never got a legitimate chance at impressing in the big leagues.

As 2011 Spring Training got underway in Port St. Lucie, Castillo the now-healthy Daniel Murphy, Brad Emaus and Chin-lung Hu were ahead of Turner on the organizational depth chart.  On March 18^th, the Mets finally exorcised the unpopular Castillo by releasing him to the delight of their fans.  Turner had outplayed his counterparts all spring but was sent down to Buffalo because he carried an extra option.  Emaus won the competition for the Opening Day second base job but proved to be an anemic at the plate, hitting .162 in his 42 plate appearances and was designated for assignment, eventually landing with the Rockies.

On his return the majors, Turner collected a single in his season debut at Citi Field against the Astros on April 19^th and from that point on, he hasn't looked back.  His production has been outstanding, driving in 13 RBI through 18 games while batting at a .333 clip.  Turner has also shown a discerning eye at the dish as he is commanding a high on-base percentage of .393.  Since shifting from second base over to the 'hot corner' as result of David Wright's back woes, Turner has established himself as a dependable utility-man at the big league level.

When Wright and fellow injured infielder Ike Davis return from the DL, Turner would at the very least make up a solid righty/lefty platoon at second base along with Murphy. In my opinion, he's made a worthy case for Terry Collins to award him an everyday role.  Collins has put faith in Turner by slotting him in the number two hole behind Jose Reyes in certain match-ups.  He could cement his place in the lineup by putting together some more influential displays when the Mets travel across town to face the Yankees.

Met fans, the long-awaited solution to your second base conundrum has finally arrived in the form of Justin Turner.

What do you think of Turner's chances of landing an everyday role?  Leave your feedback below or send Sean a tweet @HartyLFC.