Colorado Rockies: The Trevor Story they don’t tell you about

DENVER – Between Monday and Tuesday, Trevor Story of the Colorado Rockies was everything that Trevor Story is. Three true outcomes and a stolen base. Most won’t tell you about the other two true outcomes or the steals. They get hung up on the sub-.250 batting average or the 2017 league-leading 191 strikeouts.

The Colorado shortstop entered Wednesday action against San Diego with a .250 average, six home runs, 18 RBI and five stolen bases in a league-leading 24 games played.

The underrated offense (127 wRC+) is only moonlit by his underrated defense, to which Story has fielded to the tune of a .990 fielding percentage thus far this season, and he had 11 Defensive Runs Saved last year.

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Overall, he has already amassed a 0.7 fWAR, a stat not designed for a month of play but telling nonetheless. So what is WAR telling us and what is Story’s first month screaming to us?

One, that he’s pretty good. Two, that Story is starting to become more of the player he was advertised to be.

The hot-hitting start with the massive moonshots to lead off his career are certainly part of the young shortstop’s game. So too is speed, defense, and gap to gap power.

The stolen base is a lost art in baseball. And that’s been particularly true of the club playing at a mile high, ranking 25th last season in bags swiped despite their manager aiming for an uptick.

“You try to find ways every offseason to get better. You look at your game and see where you’re at, and that’s what we did,” Story said. “I realized I have the speed to steal bases and affect the game in that way.” “Nolan (Arenado) actually said I need to be more aggressive this offseason. I talked with Desi (Ian Desmond) and Chuck (Charlie Blackmon) to learn things from and bounce things off of. I think it’s been great and I think it’s going to help us win.”

Bud Black has noticed the new aspect of Story’s game and mentioned Tuesday that it may be the favorite part of his game.

“The speed component is something I like,” the skipper said. “I know the pressure that puts on the battery and defense. He’s a multi-tool player. I like the way he gets down the line, where he beats out some routine balls. I like the fact that he wanted to steal more bases this year, the pressure that creates is real.”

More real than the speed threat that has undoubtedly blossomed is still the threat of his bat. Quietly, he has been more patient at the plate and has put together much better at-bats.

“It’s a mindset for sure,” Story said. “Competing up there. it’s tough these guys are nasty but when there is two strikes being more aware and put it in play and maybe use my speed.”

He has reached base more already this season on soft hit balls. Besides that, he’s chasing less pitches at a 25 percent rate (third-best in baseball among qualified shortstops.)

“My approach is just trying to hit the ball hard no matter where it is. I try to stay through the middle for sure. For me, it’s getting my pitch and not missing it.

That approach has been lifted by the fact that Story is seeing the 12th-most pitches per plate appearances in Major League Baseball.

“Trevor is looking better the last four or five games with solid contact,” Black said. “Trevor’s at-bats have been better. He’s doing fine.”

He did that with a grand slam off left-hander Eric Lauer on Tuesday. Essentially his job is to rake lefties.

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The bigger part of his job is defense.

“That’s always a goal for me (to keep improving with the glove),” he said. “Being around DJ (LeMahieu) and Nolan (Arenado), that’s motivation everyday, I love that I’m in that situation here I can learn from these guys who are Gold Glovers. It’s a pride thing. We pride ourselves on being a good defensive team.”

It showed in 2017 when the Rockies, as a team, only had 77 errors. That was second-best in the National League only to the Miami Marlins, who had 73 errors. That is a pretty good improvement from 2016, when the Rockies had 110 errors, which was third-worst in the National League.

That’s showed for Story, like the speed has too but it all comes back to one thing for the MLB leader in homers among shortstops since the start of the 2016 season.

“I love the defense, which is great,” Black said. “I think you will see an improving hitter as he moves into the middle part of his career and beyond that. The strikeouts will lessen, the power will stay and average will come up.”

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So, cool down the call ’em up for Eastern League Player of The Week and Rockies top prospect Brendan Rodgers. What Colorado has in The Show already in Story is beyond solid.