Trevor Story played for Modesto in 2013 and got off to a rough start before making some adjustments at the plate to have a better second half. This year, the Irving, TX native is one of the leading hitters in the California League, checking in after Wednesday night’s action with a line of .336/.440/.566. That’s the kind of ability the Colorado Rockies saw when they drafted Story 45th overall in 2011.
Baseball America and MLB.com both have Story ranked as Colorado’s #9 prospect. He is playing both shortstop and 3B this season as the Rockies have another prospect in Rosell Herrera who also plays shortstop. The two were teammates at both Casper and Asheville and Story has played either position as assigned while climbing the minor league ladder.
I spoke with Story about his hot start to 2014 and a few other things before a recent home game at John Thurman Field:
YOU’RE OFF TO A GREAT START THIS YEAR AT THE PLATE. LAST YEAR YOU PLAYED AT THIS LEVEL AND STARTED SLOWLY. HOW HAVE YOU BEEN ABLE TO START SO FAST?
My hitting coach and I got together in the offseason and got back to what I have always done my whole life. We focused on what I did well and tried to attack that. Also, attack my weaknesses too, like chasing pitches. Really refined my approach to hit the pitches that I should hit and to not be chasing pitches.
BETTER PLATE DISCIPLINE?
Yeah, definitely.
AFTER LAST SEASON DID YOU THINK YOU WOULD BE BACK IN MODESTO?
I wasn’t sure.
WHEN DOES THE ORGANIZATION GIVE YOU YOUR ASSIGNMENT FOR THE COMING SEASON?
I didn’t know for sure I was coming back, and I think it’s different with every organization. For us we don’t really find out until the last week of Spring Training. It’s a guessing game. You can pretty much tell where you’re going.
DO YOU HAVE AN IDEA OF WHAT IT WILL TAKE TO GET PROMOTED TO THE NEXT LEVEL?
I really don’t. The way I approach it is just to go from day to day. I can’t put pressure on myself to advance levels or anything because that might have been something I was doing last year. Nothing good comes out of worrying about moving up.
WHEN YOU SEE YOURSELF RANKED ON THE VARIOUS PROSPECT LISTS, DOES THAT PUT ANY PRESSURE ON YOU?
No, it doesn’t. Pretty much my whole career I’ve been dealing with expectations with stuff like that and nobody’s expectations are higher than mine so I don’t feel any extra pressure from that.
WHEN YOU GO TO SPRING TRAINING, ARE YOU ABLE TO WORK WITH TULO WHILE YOU’RE THERE?
At Spring Training it is separated into major league and minor league, but if we have time I’ll ask him if he wants to come out and do some drills, and I’ll try to pick his brain because he’s one of the best fielding shortstops and offensive shortstops. So I like to pick his brain. If we both have some down time that is when we get together.
YOU HIT FOR THE CYCLE EARLIER THIS SEASON IN VISALIA. HAD YOU EVER DONE THAT BEFORE?
No, that was my first one. I started realizing that it could happen when I hit the double and I knew I just needed the triple and I just went up there and had the same approach I had all game and just tried to hit the ball hard. I hit it in the gap and right off the bat I pretty much knew I was going to third.
SO, EVERYBODY IN THE DUGOUT KNEW AND YOU WALKED UP TO THE PLATE FOR THAT AB KNOWING YOU NEEDED A TRIPLE?
Yeah. I’m pretty sure the other guys knew about it because they were pretty pumped when I did it. It’s kind of like somebody throwing a no-hitter, they’re not going to come up to you and talk to you about it.
YOU HAD GONE A COUPLE OF GAMES WITHOUT A HIT AND IT SEEMED LIKE THAT GOT YOU GOING BECAUSE YOU’VE BEEN HITTING WELL EVER SINCE.
I’m not sure, that was a while ago. I just remember we played Visalia and after I hit for the cycle I started getting pretty hot.
THE TEAM WAS IN THE PLAYOFFS LAST YEAR BUT YOU’RE OFF TO A SLOW START THIS YEAR. HOW TOUGH IS IT TO BE ON A TEAM THAT IS NOT WINNING, REGARDLESS OF WHAT YOU’RE DOING PERSONALLY?
It’s tough when you get off to the start that we have. It wasn’t ideal, but I really believe we’re starting to come around and we’re starting to have a better feel for things team chemistry-wise. Offensive rhythm and putting up good stat lines as pitchers, keeping us in ballgames. It’s no fun to lose and being the types of competitors that we are, that’s the one thing we want to do, win.
All Photos: Steve Cummings/CalLeagueHeat.com
There are just a couple of weeks left in the Cal League season’s first half, believe it or not, and the standings are starting to have serious playoff implications. The Bakersfield Blaze came into the night with a commanding five-game lead over the Visalia Rawhide in the North, having taken two of three at Recreation Park during the week. But the ‘Hide cut into that lead tonight with a late-inning comeback that combined with a shootout loss by Bakersfield at High Desert.
