False Promise
Posted: Tue May 17, 2016 7:50 am
Trevor Story is Domonic Brown. And he's Austin Kearns.
In 2013, Domonic Brown had a breakout season hitting .272 with 27 HR, 83 RBI, and 8 SB. At age 26, he was finally fulfilling the promise he had shown as the Phillies' top prospect, and was heading into his age 27 season ready to be the next big slugger in MLB.
A closer look reveals that Brown didn't actually have a breakout season so much as a historic 40-game run from April 17 - June 8, during which he hit .325 with 17 HR, 39 RBI and 6 SB. The other 3/4 of the season he hit .249 with 10 HR, 44 RBI and 2 SB.
In 2003, Austin Kearns took MLB by storm by hitting .305 with 13 HR an 35 RBI in Cincinnati Reds first 40 games. He was clearly the next Mark McGwire. An injury ended his season in July that year, but as the next great power hitter, Kearns was drafted as a top-20 hitter for years to come, despite hitting more than 20 HRs only 1 time in his career (24 in his age 26 season).
With the 40-game threshold fast approaching this year, or for Zola, the 3/4 pole, Trevor "The" Story has hit .280 with 11 HR, 25 RBI, and 3 SB. Those numbers are banked. Congratulations. But they are also the best Story is likely to produce for the next few years given one additional more telling stat.
53
As in, the number of times Story has struck out in the first 37 games. Robb Deer, Ryan Howard, and Mark Reynolds are preparing to conduct an intervention.
That's 53 strikeouts while playing half his games at Coors Field, a venue that cuts strikeout rates by 15% because the ball doesn't curve in thin air.
As for the historic beginning to his career, it's not even in the same league as Austin Kearns' for Domonic Brown's white-hot, 40-game performances.
I think this season can finish two ways for Story. He may hit another 10-12 HR and hang on the entire season in the big leagues. This would precede him being drafted side-by-side with Carlos Correa in the 2nd round of many 2017 drafts.
Or his talent for striking out will have him in the minors by the All-Star break.
Either way, those Kearns/Brown-lite numbers are money in the bank.
In 2013, Domonic Brown had a breakout season hitting .272 with 27 HR, 83 RBI, and 8 SB. At age 26, he was finally fulfilling the promise he had shown as the Phillies' top prospect, and was heading into his age 27 season ready to be the next big slugger in MLB.
A closer look reveals that Brown didn't actually have a breakout season so much as a historic 40-game run from April 17 - June 8, during which he hit .325 with 17 HR, 39 RBI and 6 SB. The other 3/4 of the season he hit .249 with 10 HR, 44 RBI and 2 SB.
In 2003, Austin Kearns took MLB by storm by hitting .305 with 13 HR an 35 RBI in Cincinnati Reds first 40 games. He was clearly the next Mark McGwire. An injury ended his season in July that year, but as the next great power hitter, Kearns was drafted as a top-20 hitter for years to come, despite hitting more than 20 HRs only 1 time in his career (24 in his age 26 season).
With the 40-game threshold fast approaching this year, or for Zola, the 3/4 pole, Trevor "The" Story has hit .280 with 11 HR, 25 RBI, and 3 SB. Those numbers are banked. Congratulations. But they are also the best Story is likely to produce for the next few years given one additional more telling stat.
53
As in, the number of times Story has struck out in the first 37 games. Robb Deer, Ryan Howard, and Mark Reynolds are preparing to conduct an intervention.
That's 53 strikeouts while playing half his games at Coors Field, a venue that cuts strikeout rates by 15% because the ball doesn't curve in thin air.
As for the historic beginning to his career, it's not even in the same league as Austin Kearns' for Domonic Brown's white-hot, 40-game performances.
I think this season can finish two ways for Story. He may hit another 10-12 HR and hang on the entire season in the big leagues. This would precede him being drafted side-by-side with Carlos Correa in the 2nd round of many 2017 drafts.
Or his talent for striking out will have him in the minors by the All-Star break.
Either way, those Kearns/Brown-lite numbers are money in the bank.