MLB: The most valued shortstops of 2019
By Bill Felber
2. Trevor Story, Colorado Rockies, $7.548 million value; $5 million salary
In 2018 Story confirmed his status as a reliable first-rate middle infielder, and he solidified that status at age 26 in 2019. He batted .294 with 35 home runs and 85 RBIs, his .917 OPS translating toa 6.4 WAR that was the position’s second best.
That 6.4 WAR, more than twice the MLB positional average, equated to $4.339 million in on-field value, second-highest among the qualifiers at this position.
Story complemented that production with solid defensive work. With a .987 fielding percentage, he ranked third among shortstops behind only DeJong and Correa. It translated to $999,000 in value. He also ranked third in range at 4.28 chances per game, trailing just Adalberto Mondesi and Anderson. That added another $1.078 million.
Story ranked eighth in playing time with 1,257 innings, good enough to pile a final $1.131 million onto his value.
All you need to know about the perception of Story across baseball is that he got $5 million as a first year arbitration player in 2019; he’s a second year arb in 2020 and projections are that he could pull more than twice that amount. Particularly if the Rockies unload Nolan Arenado, Story will emerge as the face of the franchise in Denver.