Once upon a time, there was a young man named Trevor Story, whose power quickly became legend throughout Fantasy Land. He slayed five fire-breathing dragons (Zack Greinke, Shelby Miller, Patrick Corbin, Colin Rea and Ryan Buchter) in four days, and had all citizens of the realm anointing him as their savior.
Sound like a great start to a fairy tale? Well, it might be …
Story took the fantasy world by storm this week, hitting six home runs in his first four games. It’s really impressive, but it’s just four games (heck, even Daniel Murphy hit homers in seven straight games in the playoffs last year)! As fantasy owners, you have to be realistic about what to expect in the future.
Here’s the obvious: Story will not keep this home run pace — not even while playing half his games in a ballpark where he could use a Styrofoam bat and still have success. He’s hitting .368 with a 1.316 OPS, but those numbers will drop.
The main knock on Story: He strikes out a ton. In the minors, he struck out 630 times in 2,350 plate appearances. But, he can obviously hit ((Seriously, check the splits for Corey Dickerson, Carlos Gonzalez, Andres Gallarraga, Dante Bichette or, well, anyone who has ever worn a Rockies uniform and held a bat in their hand, if you have doubts.) 70 homers while batting .263 in 537 minor league games), and playing 81 games at Coors Field will not hurt. He also stole 96 bases in the minors, averaging 27 steals per 150 games, and drove in 284 runs.
This is a quality player, playing a position where players with Story’s potential are few and far between.
Besides Story’s high number of strikeouts and lack of experience in The Show, there is one other concern: We don’t know Jose Reyes’ fate, or how the Rockies would handle potentially having both players available (though if Story continues to hit like this, the decision is easy).
If Story is available in your league, pick him up. (He was owned in 53 percent of ESPN leagues at the beginning of the week and is now owned in more than 90 percent.) But keep realistic expectations for the 158 remaining games. If you own him, keep him (ignore the early trade offers). Having an under-the-radar shortstop who potentially could join the 20/20 club in his rookie year is like finding The Beatles’ “White Album” on sale for $3 at a flea market.
The first four chapters of this fairy tale have been mesmerizing, but it’s far too soon to know if everyone will live happily ever after.
Big hits
Yasiel Puig OF, Dodgers
He entered Friday night hitting .533 (8-for-15) with a homer, four RBIs, two triples and a 1.611 OPS. This could be the year he lives up to expectations.
Steven Souza Jr. OF, Rays
He is hitting .400 with three homers and five RBIs, which makes it easy to ignore his high strikeout rate (33.4 percent for his career).
Jean Segura SS, Diamondbacks
Over his first four games, the 26-year-old was 8-for-18 (.444) with three homers, five RBIs and a stolen base. Arizona is a good fit for him.
Dexter Fowler OF, Cubs
Not only did he have seven hits in his first 12 at-bats (.583), he scored six runs, drove in four, hit a homer and walked more than he struck out.
Big whiffs
Khris Davis OF, Athletics
In his first four games in Oakland, the 28-year-old was 2-for-12 (.167) with a .481 OPS and seven strikeouts. Ewww.
Derek Norris C, Padres
The Padres made up for not scoring in their first three games on Friday, but the 27-year-old is still 1-for-16 on the season with six strikeouts.
Collin McHugh SP, Astros
Five earned runs on three hits in one-third of an inning is not a good look. His 135.00 ERA and 15.00 WHIP may grow as he faces K.C. on Monday.
Randal Grichuk OF, Cardinals
He was 1-for-10 (.100) with six strikeouts, and I still can’t pronounce his name.
Quick hits
Kyle Schwarber was diagnosed with a torn ACL on Friday. That can’t be a good feeling for the thousands who overpaid for him in drafts.
Juan Nicasio, who struck out seven while allowing just one run over six innings on Wednesday, was the fourth most added pitcher in ESPN leagues and is owned in less than 35 percent. His past is ugly, but his future in Pittsburgh is bright. Pick him up.
Starlin Castro is the first Yankee to rack up eight RBIs in his first three games with the team. He’s hitting .438 with two homers and a 1.375 OPS in his first four games in pinstripes. It’s a fast start for player who was vastly underrated in drafts who finds himself in a great spot in The Bronx.
Need stolen bases? Look no further than the man tied with Carlos Correa for the league-lead with two steals: David Wright. Wait! What? Sorry, that’s just bad advice. That’s like trusting Jesus Montero with your ice cream cone. My bad.
Team Name of the Week
Shelbyville Miller
Submitted by @AdamAizer