VIDEO: Nationals’ shortstop Trea Turner hard at work in the gym...

Trea Turner told reporters this winter that he was excited about the opportunity to move back to short after playing center in the majors once he came up for good in 2016.

“Excited to have an opportunity to go back there,” Turner said.

“I think that’s where I’m most comfortable and it’s where I played the majority of my career and I look forward to trying to prove that I can play there at a high level and be consistent.”

Consistency, he said, was his focus this winter as the 2014 1st Round pick prepares for his second season in the majors.

“I think everybody is always pushing to improve consistency,” the 23-year-old infielder said.

“I felt like, I guess it was a long time ago, but the last 20-30 games I played in Syracuse at short, I felt really consistent, not making just stupid mistakes. I think it’s a matter of being able to throw on the run accurately and doing the difficult things more routine, and I think that’s how you play good shortstop, play good defense behind the pitchers and save some runs.”

Turner talked about getting stronger and putting on some weight as he worked out this winter when he spoke with reporters in early December.

“I lost a little bit of weight at the end of the year, but I still felt strong,” he said.

“It’s not so much weight anymore, it’s just about strength and I guess you’re always trying to get a little bit stronger, but I’m not worried as much as just being ready, getting all the aches and pains or whatever it may be from a long season out of the way and just being healthy and ready to go and I think I’ve done that and I’m excited.”

Turner’s hard at work and MLB’s official Twitter account shared a number of videos of the Nationals’ shortstop working out where he went to college at NC State: