CHICAGO — In the Cubs’ clubhouse, the Justin Turner Effect is palpable. It’s apparent to anybody who walks through those doors.

He’ll smile and crack jokes with whoever is near his locker. His teammates gravitate towards him. And most of all, their faces light up when they talk about him.

Even rookie and recent call-up Cade Horton, who hasn’t spent nearly the amount of time with Turner that most of the Cubs have, didn’t hesitate to gush about his veteran teammate. As soon as Turner was brought up, a smile spread across his face.

[READ: Justin Turner finds redemption in Cubs’ walk-off win over Marlins]

“He’s a vet. He goes about it the right way,” Horton said. “It’s just fun to watch and learn from a guy that’s been in the game for so long.”

The Cubs signed Turner to a one-year, $6 million contract in February. At age 40 and in his 17th MLB season, he’s both the eldest and the most experienced player on Chicago’s roster.

“He’s seen so many big moments and small moments … Every single aspect of baseball,” Cubs pitcher Ben Brown said after Turner’s double walked off the Miami Marlins on May 13.

That walk-off hit was Turner’s biggest moment as a Cub, and it only further exemplified how much his presence means to his teammates. As the dust settled after the on-field celebrations, Turner could be seen soaking it all in with Pete Crow-Armstrong and his son, Bo.

It was a moment that displayed the team’s genuine camaraderie, and it was no surprise to see Turner at the center of it. He made that his mission from the outset, according to Cubs starting pitcher Jameson Taillon.

“He came in here and didn’t act like he had played for a long time,” Taillon said. “He just started from square one — he made friendships, made relationships and he made a real effort to get to know everyone.”

The relationship-building doesn’t stop at clubhouse chatter. Team bonding is Turner’s specialty — he’s even hosted multiple team dinners already this year.

“He’s always thinking about getting the guys together — getting the group together,” Taillon said.

Turner knows more than any of his teammates how grueling a 162-game schedule can be, which is why he makes an extra effort to alleviate the pressure that comes with it.

“Over the course of the season, we can get very lost in ourselves. It’s just natural the way it is,” Taillon said. “It’s easy to go a month and be like, ‘Oh, we haven’t hung out as a team.’ He is always thinking about that — he’s looking ahead at road trips to see when we’re going to land and if we can do dinners and stuff.”

As a two-time All-Star, NLCS MVP and World Series Champion, Turner’s resume was always going to be at the forefront when he joined the Cubs.

“You’re automatically going to respect someone who’s played a long time,” Taillon continued. “It’s really hard to do that and play at a high level. That won him a lot of respect (among the team).”

Thirteen-year veteran Ryan Pressly, the second-most experienced Cub on the roster after Turner, agreed.

“Everybody looks up to him. He’s played on a lot of big stages,” Pressly said. “We have a couple guys in here who have done that too. When you’re around a long time, you gain a lot of experience. He’s just one of those guys that you can relate a lot to.”

With that experience comes wisdom, and it’s something Turner will share with anyone — no matter their position or role on the team. For Brown, it’s the kind of thing that’s invaluable.

“I’ve had great conversations with him about routine — about what the best pitchers do,” Brown said. “I’m just super, super grateful that he’s even had time for me. He’s done that with every single guy on the team.”

[READ: Nico Hoerner visualized Cubs’ walk-off win before it actually happened]

After Nico Hoerner came around to score the winning run on Turner’s big night last week at Wrigley Field, he summed it all up in a way that perfectly captured Turner’s essence.

“He’s really good at being a major leaguer. He’s just very confident in a clubhouse,” Hoerner said. “He knows how to create good energy for other people. He’s pretty much done it all in his career, but he just loves playing baseball. He’s been a really, really big part of what we’re doing here.”