Analyzing the level of concern for five struggling Red Sox

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BOSTON, MA – MAY 8: Catcher Reese McGuire #21 of the Chicago White Sox throws down to third after Trevor Story #10 of the Boston Red Sox struck out during the eighth inning at Fenway Park on May 8, 2022 in Boston, Massachusetts. Teams across the league are wearing pink today in honor of Mothers Day. (Photo By Winslow Townson/Getty Images) /

Red Sox second baseman Trevor Story

.196/.276/.286, 1 HR, 15 RBI, -0.4 WAR

One word comes to mind while watching Trevor Story this year: In-between. The Red Sox big-ticket acquisition had seemed like he was trying to do too much at the plate, struggling to catch up to fastballs and expanding the zone on breaking balls. The result has been an 8.0% increase in strikeout rate and a 1.3% drop in walk rate.

It stands to reason why Story has gotten off to a slow start. He was one of the last free agents to sign after the lockout, and then had his spring training debut delayed after the birth of his child. He finally got to step on the field in time for Opening Day, but couldn’t even make it through the first series before getting derailed by a stomach bug. Couple all of that with the adjustment that comes with moving to a new ballpark in a new league, and it makes sense why Story has had his struggles.

The good news is that when Story does make contact, he’s still driving the ball with authority. His exit velocity is unchanged from last season, his barrel percentage is the highest since 2018, and his sweet spot rate is the highest since 2016. The results haven’t been there yet, but it’s clear there is still a lot of thump left in his bat.

The big thing for Story is to finally get enough consistent playing time to get into a rhythm, and this past week featured some better contact and his first home run of the season. All in all, it’s far too early to seriously worry about Trevor Story.

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