Rockies-Dodgers Preview: Star Rookie Shortstops Face Off
LOS ANGELES (The Sports Xchange) - Trevor Story and Corey Seager have taken two very different paths to the major leagues. On Monday at Dodger Stadium, those paths will collide in a matchup that features the two best rookie shortstops and rookie hitters in baseball, when the Colorado Rockies visit the Los Angeles Dodgers for a three-game series at Dodger Stadium.
Colorado shortstop Story, a 23-year-old out of Irving, Texas, was selected in the first round of the draft in 2011 but was forced to play behind Troy Tulowitzki his entire professional career. He was thought to have peaked a few years ago but proved doubters wrong this season, when he came out with a bang -- six of them in his first four big league games.
Seager, the Dodgers' 20-year-old boy wonder, was destined to be a star. Chosen in the first round of the draft a year after Story, he came with a name, being the brother of Seattle Mariners third baseman Kyle Seager. His arrival in the major leagues last year was much heralded. But a key fielding mistake in the postseason had his own critics saying he wasn't ready for an everyday shortstop job just yet.
But now, ready or not, Seager and Story are engaged in a rookie home-run derby of sorts. Story's 15 homers leads all rookies and is tied for seventh in the league. Seager has 13, second behind Story for the rookie lead, after a monstrous weekend at the plate.
"It's one of those days where you're getting good pitches and getting swings on them," Seager said. "You hope you get good pitches every night. If you don't, they good pitchers, they're big league pitchers and that's what they're supposed to do. They're supposed to make pitches. Right now, I'm getting some hits."
Seager had two multi-homer games against the Atlanta Braves over the weekend, slugging three of them on Friday and two more in the series finale on Sunday. His 12 home runs since May 11 leads the league and it seems as though there isn't a pitch that he can't hit.
"It's deja vu, it keeps happening and I can get used to it," Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said. "He sees the ball out of the hand really well and he has a very sound short swing, power to all fields. He can hit any pitch. He's special, there's not very many guys who can do that and it all starts with his pitch recognition."
It's been a sight to see and a welcome addition to a Dodgers lineup that has been searching for consistency and lacking an identity.
"Sometimes as a young player when you feel like the veterans aren't really clicking yet. So you take it upon yourself and not wait back," Roberts said. "So to see him go out there and have those at-bats and big hits for us, I think it shows the willingness to take the lead."
Story has cooled off considerably since his big debut. In the past 15 games, he's hit just .213 and struck out 22 times. The Rockies as a club have been scuffling, having lost four straight and 10 of their last 12 before Sunday.
Manager Walt Weiss thinks the Rockies are pressing too hard.
"Yeah, I see some of that," Weiss told the Denver Post on Saturday. "We had some opportunities and we had our big guys up there, but yeah, I see some guys trying to create some things and putting out big swings to try and get a big inning."
The series begins on Monday at 7:10 p.m. PT.
