Justin Turner adjusts to life in Toronto with consistency and a cup of coffee

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On Justin Turner's first day as a Toronto Blue Jay, he did something many Canadians do: He got a coffee at Tim Hortons.

A medium vanilla latte made with oat milk, his wife asked him on social media, “Am I doing this right?” prompted to publish with the inscription. Along with the Canadian flag emoji. He liked the chain's first drink so much that he returned the next day to get the same order.

“Tim Hortons is definitely a Canadian staple,” Turner said. “My wife likes certain things more than I do, so she said, 'You should definitely post a picture of it.' … As usual, he was right.”

Turner was in town for a few days when the Blue Jays returned from a 10-game road trip to start the season. As a result, he never got a chance to see the clubhouse or tour the town until home opener day. The only time he was in Toronto with the Blue Jays was when he showed up for a physical.

However, he had heard positive things about Toronto before signing a one-year deal with the club in early February.

Former Jays player Ricky Romero, who played in Toronto from 2009 to 2013, was his college roommate at Cal State Fullerton. The two stayed in touch despite parting ways when they entered the major leagues. Romero told Turner how much he loved playing in Toronto.

“I'm still getting used to it, but I know it's a great city,” the 39-year-old said. “I know everyone loves being a part of this community, so I'm looking forward to learning more about it.”

His biggest hit so far? Road traffic.

“Oh man…there's more to it than I expected,” he said.

Although the longtime veteran is still adjusting to the city, he has found his place in the Jays lineup. Through 10 games, Turner has led the Jays in several offensive categories, including batting average, on-base plus slugging percentage, and is tied with Vladimir Guerrero Jr. with a team-high seven home runs.

His presence and consistency in the order was exactly what the Jays were looking for when they signed him in the offseason.

He showed his expertise in the batter's box when he hit a fly ball over the left-field wall and raced to second base for a Jays home run double. His wife and mother-in-law cheered along with the sellout crowd at the Rogers Center.

Two plays later, Alejandro Kirk brought it home to give the Jays their first win of the night. After that run, Toronto never looked back from the driver's seat and cruised to a 5-2 victory.

“I just hope to bring stability,” he said. “I know I'm not always going to hit, but I want to make sure I'm tough and make the pitchers work. … I hope it's contagious.

Jayler also hopes his attitude rubs off on the other guys in the clubhouse.

“He has a plan for every at-bat, every pitch, and you can see that when you play against him,” Jays manager John Schneider said. “Hearing him talk to the other guys and hearing him in meetings, I think, was really helpful. Then what he did on the field was really effective.”

Turner is a former World Series champion and National League MVP with the Los Angeles Dodgers. During his career, he had “several close encounters” with the Jays in free agency before joining this winter, most notably through the 2021 season when Toronto chose to stick with Marcus Semien.

“(That guy) has been there and done that,” Schneider said. “I think on any good team, you've got guys like that in the mix, and you've got guys that are eager to get there.”

Before joining the team in spring practice, Turner was unfamiliar with most of the players. He was teammates with Mitch White and Yimi Garcia in Los Angeles, but his other knowledge of the Jays' roster came from playing against them.

However, he says his transition to the clubhouse has been seamless.

“It's a great group, great energy,” he said. “Honestly, it's been easy hanging out with the guys and getting to know everyone so far.”

When the California native looked for a new team in free agency, he prioritized directions and the chance to compete for a championship. Toronto, he believes, has both.

Despite the Blue Jays shaky first 10 games, Turner acknowledged the long season ahead. Like any other baseball season, the year can have its twists and turns — some he may not have seen coming.

But he knows he likes being a Blue Jay and will probably make more trips to Tim Hortons.

“I've been playing for a long time, and the thing is, when you get between the tracks, the game of baseball is the same no matter where you are,” he said. “It's getting to know the guys and spending time with them.”