ATLANTA — At his worst over his first couple major league years, Trevor Story was a tradeoff the Rockies were willing to take: A gifted and fleet-footed shortstop with clear and raw power, despite the alarming strikeout totals and middling average that came with.
But the 2018 version has seen a marked change in the 25-year-old’s approach and his maturation in the box, most notably via a .291 average that sits well above the .239 mark he finished with in his first full campaign in 2017.
“I take a lot of pride in that,” Story said. “Last year, my average certainly wasn’t where I wanted it, but it’s been a lot of hard work learning from guys that are in this clubhouse and that’s been big for me, as has learning from myself and what I did last year.”
Story’s shortened swing has led to slightly fewer strikeouts this season (projected to finish with 170, as compared to 191 in 2017) and a higher on-base percentage (.347 vs. .308) for the first-time all-star.
“I took (the strikeouts) to heart — last year, I led the NL in strikeouts, and I still have way more than I want this year,” Story said. “It’s one of those things where it’s a pride thing when it comes down to it — if you get two strikes, it’s a battle. It’s more of a mindset than anything, and I’ve learned to have that, and to know when to go to it.”
Entering Thursday’s series opener against the Braves, Story’s riding a 12-game hit streak — the longest active in the National League — and since June 1, the shortstop ranks third in the league with a .332 average (82-for-247).
And in a craft that doesn’t necessarily always reward strength over finesse, teammate Nolan Arenado noted the improved discipline and compactness in Story’s approach, both on strikes in the wheelhouse and bait pitches out of the zone.
“He realized that he doesn’t have to generate so much (power) — he’s so strong, the ball jumps off his bat even if he doesn’t take a big hack,” Arenado said. “You don’t see the big swings on curveballs in the dirt like you did last year or the year before.”
Considering Story set a major-league and rookie record with seven home runs in his first six games in 2016 — and his 76 home runs are the most ever in a shortstop’s first three seasons — the general consensus in the Rockies’ clubhouse is that this summer is only the latest flash of greatness in what is promising to be a long career.
As Story continues to accelerate up the MLB’s learning curve, Colorado is likely in the midst of the next great slugging shortstop in club history.
“I don’t think we’ve seen the best of Story yet, which is fun and scary and exciting,” catcher Chris Iannetta said. “When I played here with (Troy) Tulowitzki and he was healthy and in his prime, he was pretty tough to beat — he was phenomenal. But Story is that caliber of player, and in some ways he’s more athletic.”
Footnotes. Manager Bud Black said he’s learned a couple words in Korean since Seunghwan Oh was traded for on July 28 and has been throwing them around with the right-handed reliever. Junbi — pronounced june-bee and roughly translated to “are you ready?” — is one, and Ჹ(gah-jah, “let’s go”) is another… In an update on the race for the triple crown, entering Thursday, Arenado was tied for second in the NL in home runs (30), fourth in RBIs (84) and fourth in batting average (.308). Only 16 players in major league history have ever won the triple crown — the achievement of leading a league in average, home runs, and RBIs over a single season — with the most recent being Detroit’s Miguel Cabrera in 2012. An NL player has not won the triple crown since St. Louis outfielder Joe Medwick in 1937.
— Denver Post staff writer Patrick Saunders contributed to this report.
Looking ahead
Rockies LHP Kyle Freeland (10-7, 3.02 ERA) at Braves LHP Sean Newcomb (10-5, 3.40), 5:35 p.m., ATTRM
Freeland continued his sophomore surge with another strong outing in a win against Los Angeles last Saturday, but faces a tough task against an Atlanta team that has hit the 25-year-old hard. The Braves are a collective .345 (20-for-58) against the southpaw, with all-star Nick Markakis hitting .556 (5-for-9) with a couple home runs. Meanwhile, Newcomb tossed six shutout innings in his first start against Colorado this season, a 4-0 Braves win on April 8 in Denver. But the left-hander is coming off a rough outing against the Brewers in which he was lit up for five earned runs over four innings.
Saturday: Rockies RHP Antonio Senzatela (4-3, 4.56) at Braves RHP Mike Foltynewicz (10-7, 2.86), 5:10 p.m., ATTRM
Sunday: Rockies RHP German Marquez (10-9, 4.51) at Braves RHP Anibal Sanchez (6-3, 3.07), 11:35 a.m., ATTRM
Monday: Off
Tuesday: Padres LHP Robbie Erlin (2-3, 3.33) at Rockies LHP Tyler Anderson (6-5, 4.39), 6:40 p.m., ATTRM
