Colorado Rockies Trevor Story becomes first shortstop to record 40 2B, 30 HR, and 25 SB in a season

Colorado Rockies shortstop Trevor Story became his own exclusive club among shortstops on Tuesday night

On Tuesday night, Colorado Rockies shortstop Trevor Story went 1-4 with a double and an RBI in a loss at home to the Arizona Diamondbacks. While nothing from that sentence seems to bear any historical significance at all, Story accomplished an unprecedented feat when he laced a Zack Greinke offering to left field in the bottom of the 1st inning.

In bringing in Nolan Arenado on the base hit, Story collected his 100th RBI of the season. That double is important not only because Story has the second-most RBI in the National League, but by reaching second base on the hit he becomes the first shortstop EVER to tally 40 doubles, 30 home runs, and 25 stolen bases in a single season.

That’s right, Story’s the only shortstop in MLB history to record those totals all in one season. Even the best offensive shortstops to grace the face of the Earth, from Cal Ripken Jr. to Derek Jeter, never compiled 40 2B/30 HR/25 SB in a single season. Even Alex Rodriguez — who put up video games numbers in the late 90’s as a SS — never had a line quite like Story’s.

Trevor Story’s incredible feat illustrates the kind of year he’s having. After a tough sophomore season in which he hit .239 with 191 strikeouts, the former 1st-round pick has become one of the most feared hitters in the senior circuit in 2018. Not only has Story made history this season with 32 home runs, 40 doubles, 25 stolen bases, but he also carries a .293 batting average along with a .905 OPS and (as aforementioned) triple-digit RBI.

Even though this is just his third season in the Majors, Story has made his fair share of headlines. In fact, he gained national notoriety just a week into his big league career. Not only was he the first rookie to hit a home run as each of his first four hits, but he also became the first to hit six home runs in the first four games of the season. To top it off, Story set the Major League record for the most home runs in a team’s first six games with seven, which prompted the Baseball Hall of Fame to ask for his bat to put in Cooperstown (he declined, but chose to donate his helmet and batting gloves from that electric run instead).

Just last week, Story had a 3-homer game, the first of which he hit 469 feet in Adrian Beltre fashion, while his second of the night stands as the longest-travelled home run of the season (and of the Statcast era) at 505 feet.

Story’s been one of the best hitters in all of baseball this season, and as a result he deserves serious consideration as a candidate for National League MVP. He’s tied for the NL lead in doubles, T-2nd in RBI, T-3rd in home runs, T-5th in stolen bases, and 6th in OPS. Additionally, Story has a 5.0 WAR according to Baseball Reference, and has been an above-average defender with a 0.9 dWAR.

While Story’s individual numbers are impressive, his MVP case is furthered by his contribution to Colorado’s success. With a 79-65 record, the Colorado Rockies sit a game and a half above the Los Angeles Dodgers for the division lead and have a 51% chance of making the postseason. Along with Arenado and Kyle Freeland (who deserves some NL Cy Young votes), Story has thrust the Rockies to the top of a crowded NL West, putting them in a position to win their first division crown in club history.

Trevor Story made history for being the first shortstop in baseball history to record 40 2B/30 HR/25 SB in a single season, but he still has work to do. With just a few weeks remaining in the season, the young Colorado Rockies infielder has the opportunity to further build his MVP case while trying to bring the Rox to the playoffs. Needless to say it’s worth keeping track of how Story and the Rockies perform in the regular season’s final chapter.