"Last year is last year" for slumping Trevor Story

DENVER – The hottest hitter in baseball last April, Trevor Story, is off to a really rough start this season. The Colorado shortstop is batting below the Mendoza Line in the first nine games of the Rockies season. More concerning than the summarizing numbers is his near 40% clip of a strikeout rate (13 Ks in 33 PA).
Yet Story has shown that he’s made strides in plate discipline, which was one of his biggest goals for the offseason. It’s just nine games, but considering his start last season, some are concerned his numbers.

“I do, I feel really close,” Story said on breaking out of his slight starting slump. “I feel like I’m having decent at-bats, seeing a lot of pitches, just missing my pitches, pitches that I usually don’t miss. Just keep working, I have that belief in myself.”

“That’s great (that he’s close).” Bud Black said. “He’s put in a lot of work, he’s close. He’s had a couple of really good swings here. He is close, he’s right.”

Last April he batted .261 with a league-leading 10 dingers.

“Last year is last year, I don’t think about it at all. I think about day-to-day stuff, I’m not really a comparison kind of guy,” Story responded to if he was looking back on last season at all. “Sometimes you’re clicking and sometimes you’re not, just little adjustments.”

Last April Story walked just nine times in 102 plate appearances, he’s already up to five this season.

“I feel good [about walking] just as long as I’m having good at-bats,” the sophomore said.

The thumb isn’t bothering Story, either it’s just a plain old slump, but the signs point to him breaking it soon and coming back a better ballplayer. Which is good for the Rockies because the lineup needs him to back up the stellar pitching.

“It’s awesome that we don’t have to slug all the time. The pitchers are keeping us in games,” the shortstop said. “They’re working quick and pounding the zone with quality pitches”

If Story gets rolling and this staff stays hot, look out.