Rookie sensations Trevor Story and Corey Seager have seen the record for most home runs by a rookie shortstop before the All-Star break come and go.
With 16 homers from Story and 14 from Seager, the two have surpassed the old record set my Nomar Garciaparra of 13 long balls before the Midsummer Classic in 1997. And with the National League record of 20 home runs by a rookie shortstop in a season within grasp, the two are looking to rewrite history.
Welcome to The Show
It didn't take long for both these highly thought of, first-round-pick, prospects to make it into the highlight reel. Upon his Major League Baseball debut on April 4, Story went 2-for-6 with two home runs and four runs batted in, leading the Colorado Rockies to a 10-5 win on Opening Day. It took Seager a little longer to get going, but over the last two weeks, he's hitting .404 with seven homers and 12 RBIs, while leading the Los Angeles Dodgers in the three main offensive categories.
Story was the talk of the league during the first week of the season. He set an MLB record with six home runs in his first four games along with clearing the fences in his first four games and five of the six games to start the season. He also set the record for most homers by a National League hitter with 10 in the month of April. During his historic month, Story posted a .261/.324/.696 line with 20 RBIs and 17 extra base hits.
Since then, however, Story has gravitated back to Earth a bit. Along with his 16 home runs, which are tied for third in the N.L. with Milwaukee Brewer's slugging first baseman Chris Carter, Story has put up a .258/.310/.554 mark along with leading the Majors with 85 strikeouts. At his current pace, Story would finish the year with 230 punch outs, seven more than the 223-strikeout record set by current teammate Mark Reynolds in 2009.
On the California coast, Corey Seager, once considered the top prospect in all of baseball, has taken advantage of his opportunity after seeing limited playing time at the end of last season and into the Dodger's playoff run.
In 32 games, including five postseason games, Seager hit .316 with 4 home runs, 17 RBIs and nine doubles at shortstop. This year, while hitting primarily in the number two hole, same as Story, Seager has hit for .283/.345/.524. He leads the Dodgers in batting average, home runs and RBIs (35).
An Anticipated Wait
Last season, the two spent split time between AA and AAA ball. While playing for the Albuquerque Isotopes, Story posted a .277/.324/.504 line at AAA with 10 home runs, 20 doubles, four triples and 40 RBIs in over 60 games. The opportunity to become the next Rockies' starting shortstop became available after Jose Reyes was suspended by the league for a domestic violence incident. Story looked to be the prime candidate for the job, after being regarded as one of the Rockies' top prospects.
Story averaged .340/.407/.792 along with six home runs and 13 RBIs in 20 games during the spring and was named the Rockies everyday shortstop for the 2016 campaign.
After going 6-for-18 with three doubles, four RBIs and seven walks in the Dodger's 2015 Spring Training, Seager was still unable to make the roster. 2016 would be a different story for the 22-year old Charlotte, North Carolina native. He averaged .350/.350/.450 in just eight games, but proved enough that he was ready for the show.
Along with third baseman Nolan Arenado (.289, 18 HR, 49 RBI), Story has helped lead the Rockies to score the most runs in the National League West and third most in all of the N.L. Both Story and Seager have also gained national recognition for their achievements and it seems that Story might even have a chance at not only being named to the National League All-Star team, but starting as well.
As of June 8, the latest MLB All-Star voting results showed that Story was second in voting among N.L. shortstops with 714,160 votes, trailing Chicago Cubs' shortstop Addison Russell who has 832,191 votes. The league's next updated vote count for the National League will be on Wednesday, June 15.
Changing the Game
The age of big, slugging shortstops is all but in the past. Players like Cal Ripken Jr. and Alex Rodriguez have either left the game or, in what has become the norm, been shifted over to third base.
The exciting possibility with Trevor Story and Corey Seager is that these two could produce big offensive numbers and still go out and play arguably the toughest defensive position on the field. Story, 6-foot-1, 180 lbs, and Seager, 6-foot-4, 215 lbs, offer big bodies and a look back at the big-body shortstops.
The future is bright for these two. At 22 and 23-years old, record breaking could become a normal part of their careers.