Rockies' Trevor Story: Ready for rebound in 2018
Story said Saturday that he took part in an strenuous offseason workout program and is focusing on simplifying his approach at the plate during the upcoming season, Patrick Saunders of The Denver Post reports. "I feel great, I can't wait to get back into it again," said Story. "Baseball is a game of adjustments. It's no secret that I struggled at the beginning of last year, but I think there was an ends to that. I used that. I learned."
After busting on the scene as a rookie with 27 home runs and a .272/.341/.567 across 97 games, Story entered the 2017 campaign with massive expectations, but ultimately failed to deliver. Though Story closed the season on a high note with 15 extra-base hits in September, his extreme contact woes -- he led the National League with 191 strikeouts -- proved to be his undoing, as the shortstop mustered a disappointing .239/.308/.457 slash line in 555 plate appearances. Rather than overhauling his swing this offseason in an attempt to generate more contact, Story has instead turned his attention to improving his patience at the plate in order to identify pitches he can drive. Story's performance early on during Cactus League play may offer more insight into whether or not his adjustments are paying off, but for the time being, he should be viewed as a risky, albeit high-upside bounce-back candidate.
