WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. -- The Nationals want Trea Turner to run more in 2019.

How much more?

"I think if he attempts 75 to 80, we'll be in great shape," manager Dave Martinez said.

"I was like, ‘Wow, alright,'" Turner said with a smile.

It’s a testament to Turner’s elite speed that Martinez could ask him to drastically increase his stolen bases after he led the National League in steals last season, with 43. But Turner only made 52 attempts while playing in all 162 games. A year prior, he stole 46 bases in 54 attempts while playing just 98 games.

No player attempted to steal 75 bases last season. Dee Gordon tried to swipe 76 in 2017 and stole 60 successfully. It’s not an easy task, but it’s something Martinez knows Turner is capable of. Statcast rated Turner as tied for the fourth-fastest player in MLB in 2018, with a sprint speed of 30.1 feet per second, tied with Billy Hamilton and Adam Engel and trailing only Roman Quinn, Magneuris Sierra and Byron Buxton.

Turner is a better hitter than any player in that group. And he will caution that it all begins at the plate.

"I think stolen bases are always a byproduct of doing other things well," Turner said. "Getting on base -- you've got to get on base a lot, obviously. And you've got to be in the right position and your teammates have got to help you out a little bit sometimes.

"I think that's overlooked sometimes -- who's hitting behind you and they have to kind of help you. ... From year to year, I think that dictates it, too. If your [team is] behind a lot, it's hard to steal. If you're ahead a lot, you've got a little bit more opportunity. If you're ahead by too much, those opportunities go away, too. So each year is different and hopefully you get a chance to help out as much as you can."

That has been Turner’s challenge in the past. A year ago, he attributed his lower stolen-base total largely to the Nats' struggles as a team. And he will admit he has been sometimes hesitant to run with Bryce Harper hitting behind him. It does not appear Harper will be hitting directly behind him this season; however, he is still going to have a very good hitter following him in the lineup -- maybe Juan Soto or Anthony Rendon.

"We've had this conversation,” Martinez said. “And I've told him ... as a hitter, would you rather a guy be on first base or would you rather a guy be on second base, where you can get a base hit and you have a chance to drive in a run? Sometimes we do want to give a hitter a chance to hit, and he understands that. But when he gets on base, he makes things happen."

But as far as Martinez's challenge? Turner says he is up to it.

"Oh yeah,” he said. “Any time a coach pushes you to do something that you think is a little crazy, I think that's them believing in you that you can do it. It's possible. It's still a lot, but it's possible. I think I'm going to have to do a lot of things right, and hopefully get a shot at accomplishing it."