For Red Sox shortstop Trevor Story, it has taken a while this season to get himself going, to become the reliable fielder and hitter the team had been counting on. In the first two-plus months of the season, things were not looking good on Story.
Or, scratch that. It has actually taken three-and-a-half years for Story to get himself going in Boston, as injuries sapped him of his 2022-24 seasons, limiting him to 163 games in three seasons. The Red Sox’s bet on Story–a six-year, $140 million deal given in 2021–has long looked like a wasted one.
It will take more than a month-and-a-half to completely rewrite the ending, but there’s no doubt that, as things stand, Story has finally begun to show what the Red Sox originally saw in him.
Trevor Story Hit .232 in 3 Previous Seasons
Beyond the question of durability for Boston, there were doubts, too, about Story’s bat. His impressive career numbers and All-Star appearances had come in Colorado, where offensive stats have all the weight of cotton candy. He hit .272 with 158 homers in six years for Colorado, an average of 26.3 per season.
For the Red Sox, Story hit just .232 and knocked 21 homers in three years. His OPS was .863 with the Rockies and just .693 in Boston.
When Story got off to a slow start again with the Red Sox this year, there was chatter about the team potential designating him for assignment, even if it meant eating the remaining $70 million of his contract.
“It got to the point in May where you looked at him at the plate and it was like, ‘Oof – a non-competitive at-bat,’ ” manager Alex Cora said of Story. “It was. And he knows it. Now, you feel like something big is going to happen with every swing. The swing decisions are great. He’s going the other way. He’s been outstanding for us.”
Red Sox Getting What They Paid For
But Story has been one of the hottest hitters on the team as the Red Sox have risen to the top of the AL wild-card race and are threatening the Blue Jays in the AL East.
In his last 50 games, Story is batting .314, and has a .353 on-base percentage. His slugging mark is .565 in that span, and his OPS is .918. He has a reliable glove at short, and with Alex Bregman at third, has given the often shaky Red Sox defense a very good foundation on the left side.
Story has done most of his damage lately in the No. 4 and No. 5 spot in the batting order, and has racked up a team-high 72 RBIs, seventh in the American League.
Trevor Story: ‘It’s Been Fun’
Story said he is welcoming the challenge of being a run-producer. He has driven in 100 runs only once, in 2018 in Colorado.
“Hitting in the middle of the order, (knocking them in) is kind of your job,” said Story. “They get on base for you and it’s our turn in the middle of the order to cash those guys in. There’s times to take your shot. But yeah, it’s been fun coming through in those situations.”
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