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Colorado Rockies: Has Trevor Story rewritten club’s pecking order?

By Luke Zahlmann

PHOENIX, ARIZONA - AUGUST 24: Infielders Trevor Story #27 and Nolan Arenado #28 of the Colorado Rockies during the MLB game against the Arizona Diamondbacks at Chase Field on August 24, 2020 in Phoenix, Arizona. The Rockies defeated the Diamondbacks 3-2. (Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images)
PHOENIX, ARIZONA - AUGUST 24: Infielders Trevor Story #27 and Nolan Arenado #28 of the Colorado Rockies during the MLB game against the Arizona Diamondbacks at Chase Field on August 24, 2020 in Phoenix, Arizona. The Rockies defeated the Diamondbacks 3-2. (Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images) /
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DENVER, CO – AUGUST 28: Trevor Story #42 of the Colorado Rockies runs from first to third against the San Diego Padres at Coors Field on August 28, 2020 in Denver, Colorado. All players are wearing #42 in honor of Jackie Robinson Day. The day honoring Jackie Robinson, traditionally held on April 15, was rescheduled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. (Photo by Dustin Bradford/Getty Images)
DENVER, CO – AUGUST 28: Trevor Story #42 of the Colorado Rockies runs from first to third against the San Diego Padres at Coors Field on August 28, 2020 in Denver, Colorado. All players are wearing #42 in honor of Jackie Robinson Day. The day honoring Jackie Robinson, traditionally held on April 15, was rescheduled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. (Photo by Dustin Bradford/Getty Images) /

Rounding 15-inch squares around a major league field is important. Those who do it best are some of the league’s most elite players.

So many times, comparisons between two superstars come down to miniscule differences. The splitting hairs required to differentiate a pair of players causes controversy in droves.

In a perfect world, both Trevor Story and Nolan Arenado could slip on their specially designed Nike cleats and sprint from one spot to another in a foot race. Teal, purple, and black would take the place of the iconic red streaks left behind by The Flash.

Coors Field won’t be hosting such a race anytime soon, so metrics will have to do. As expected, it’s not necessarily close.

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Trevor Story is in the top five percent of all major leaguers in sprint speed (25th overall, according to Statcast). His sprint speed has dropped to 28.8 feet per second, and he still leaves Arenado’s 24.8 feet per second in the dust.

A stopwatch tells one chapter. Tangible results tell a similar tale.

In only four-plus seasons, Story has swiped 73 bases. The total includes 2017 in which he only had seven in 145 games. Rickey Henderson isn’t going to have his records shattered, but the numbers show the great sprint speed isn’t going to waste.

Arenado’s speed has produced different results. He’s garnered only 16 stolen bases since his debut in 2013. The oft-used comparisons between Mike Schmidt and Arenado are apt, but the former showcased an ability to steal bases simply not present in Arenado’s game.

Watch Arenado in the field and he’ll show range unlike many of even the league’s fastest third basemen. On the base paths, it’s not the same.

Winner: Story

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