Colorado Rockies: The Trevor Story they don’t tell you about | Rox Pile
Trevor Story is starting to put together several tools. Currently, he is slashing .253/.349/.516, good for a 122 wRC+. Even with a 32.1% strikeout rate, Story has managed to draw walks consistently enough and to hit for extra bases to the point where he is a comfortably above average Major League hitter through the first month of 2018. Story has become famous for an “all-or-nothing” approach at the plate, resulting in either home runs or strikeouts, but there are other important elements to his game which should not be discounted, writes Rox Pile’s Jake Shapiro.
For starters, Story’s baserunning could absolutely be considered elite when looking at the company he keeps. In Sprint Speed, Story is tied with Billy Hamilton and Trea Turner for third in baseball, with a speed of 29.9 feet per second. The name right behind them is Dee Gordon. Then, there’s the defense, which might get overshadowed for a shortstop playing in between Gold Glovers Nolan Arenado and DJ LeMahieu. After leading National League shortstops in Defensive Runs Saved in 2017, both DRS and Ultimate Zone Rating are surprisingly down on his work with the glove to begin 2018, but there is reason to believe he will right the ship. At the plate, Story has undergone improvements as well. His chase rate is less than 25%, good enough to be the third best mark for a shortstop in the Majors.
Colorado Rockies: Ryan McMahon discusses early season slump | Rox Pile
After collecting 2 hits and 2 walks in Wednesday’s win against the San Diego Padres, Ryan McMahon is hitting .170/.304/.191, which is certainly not earth-shattering. However, McMahon is starting to show some more consistency after a dreadful start to a season in which he made his first Major League roster. McMahon spoke to Rox Pile about his grounded approach as he takes his struggles in stride.
BSN Rockies Podcast: Ringolsby on trend setting and tradition breaking | BSN Rockies
In the latest edition of the BSN Rockies podcast, Drew Creasman and Tracy Ringolsby discuss trend setting and tradition breaking, especially as it pertains to the world of pitching. Bullpen usage is on the rise and pitch counts are being utilized as a significant factor in today’s game. Creasman and Ringolsby also focus on Denver as an evolving baseball city.
Freeland’s next start in question due to injury | Rockies.com
MLB.com’s Thomas Harding provides the latest Rockies injury news. Kyle Freeland twirled a masterful 7 shutout innings on Tuesday evening, but was also hit in the heel by a line drive, and may have to skip his next start— but that should be the extent of time missed. Meanwhile, Carlos Gonzalez is progressing nicely in his recovery from a right hamstring strain.
Colorado Rockies: Something has to give with Jon Gray | Rox Pile
Rox Pile’s Olivia Greene still has some concerns about the cumulative season performance of Jon Gray, whose ERA is still nothing to write home about at 5.79. On the plus side, Gray had a very solid performance on Wednesday, striking out 11 batters in 6 scoreless innings. With an excellent strikeout to walk ratio, Gray’s FIP of 3.54 features a more positive take on his work.
Proud To Be: Jenny Cavnar the latest CSU grad to break down barriers in sports | Mile High Sports
It absolutely floors me that there are those who believe women are unqualified to report on sports when it is obvious that most of the time, women must do more work than their male counterparts to achieve roles such as the play-by-play role that Rockies broadcaster Jenny Cavnar has achieved. Cavnar isn’t the only woman who graduated from Colorado State University who has gone on to break down barriers in sports. Rich Kurtzman of Mile High Sports provides the stories of several women who have strived to the nth degree to make their mark.
Q&A: Jenny Cavnar on her MLB play-by-play and how one TV interview can change a life | The Athletic ($)
Nick Groke of The Athletic has an excellent interview with Cavnar about her big night on Monday. Cavnar talks about practicing for the part, and gleans insight into her role models and the support she has received from her colleagues at AT&T SportsNet Rocky Mountain.
Cavnar is amazing at what she does and is an inspiration to many.
Get a grip: Axe Bat is trying to revolutionize baseball bats | The Denver Post ($)
Axe Bat is undertaking a very cool exercise of changing the handle of a bat to allow more natural feeling for baseball players’ swings. Major League players Mookie Betts, George Springer, and Jake Lamb have tried it and had success. Lamb says it worked wonders for helping his hand feel comfortable after he underwent hamate surgery.