Phillies superstar Trea Turner breaks down his top techniques for executing the perfect slide

MLB analyst Harold Reynolds hailed Philadelphia Phillies star Trea Turner as "one of the greatest sliders in the history of baseball" during his latest appearance on the MLB Network segment on Sunday. Turner has been known to be one of the quickest around the basepaths and a highly intelligent baserunner. Some of his iconic slides came during his stint with the Dodgers.

After his signature slide video was shown, Reynolds asked Turner to give a masterclass on the same. And Turner was a fine speaker of the long-forgotten art of sliding.

"The feet-first slide works just as well as a head-first slide for the most part. If you do it right, you don’t necessarily have to slide head-first," Trea Turner said. "But for me, now with replay, there are two key factors. You want to get to the base as fast as possible, but you also need to be safe and stay on the bag. Some guys slide too early and slow down, and others slide a little too late and look like they’re crashing into the base."

Turner highlights the importance of balance between speed and control while sliding.

"I believe in finding a balance," Turner added. "I try to stay in that middle ground where I get to the base as fast as possible, but when I make contact, I have to be able to stop and stay on the bag to avoid losing challenges on replay.

"It’s something I’ve done for a long time, but that’s my viewpoint—there’s a balance, and some guys do it better than others. Every time I slide feet-first, I naturally do a pop-up slide, except at home plate."

What works for Trea Turner when he slides for home plate?

The home plate slide is one of the most important skills for runners to have as it could be the difference-maker in the game. While talking about the art of sliding, Trea Turner opens up on what works best for him.

"At home plate, I try to slide late because it doesn’t matter—you can go through home plate," Turner said.

Turner also shared his natural tendency to use a pop-up slide when reaching second or third base, while his approach to home plate is different.

"But when I’m sliding into second or third, it’s usually always a pop-up slide. It just feels natural, and I don’t really think about it," he added.

"That’s how I stay on the base and stop my momentum, using a little turn at the end. Even switching feet at that moment can get you in trouble, so I try to keep my right foot on the base."

Trea Turner’s ability to blend speed, technique and awareness on the basepaths is part of what makes him such a dynamic player.