Boston Red Sox second baseman Trevor Story drives winning

The Boston Red Sox win when Trevor Story drives in runs

Trevor Story was due for a home run. Following a scorching stretch last month that saw the Boston Red Sox second baseman smash nine homers in 14 games, Story had fallen into a 20-game drought without one.

His former Colorado Rockies teammate, Nolan Arenado, went deep in each of the first two games of the series at Fenway Park, perhaps providing some additional motivation for Story to snap out of his power slump. With two outs in the second inning, Story hammered a four-seam fastball 397 feet to right field to put the Red Sox on the board.

It was his 10th home run of the season, which trails only Rafael Devers (16) on the team. Story’s team-leading 45 RBI ties him for fifth in the American League and gives him the most among major league second basemen.

Story struggled to make a first impression with Red Sox Nation during a woeful April. The slow start wasn’t surprising considering he signed late in free agency due to the lockout, limiting him to only about a week of training camp. Switching leagues, adapting to a new city, learning a new position… oh right, Story also became a father right before the season began. It’s fair to say that Story had a lot on his plate that led to an early-season slump at the plate.

Story showed signs of climbing out of his slump about one month into the regular season but his true breakout performance was on May 18 against the Seattle Mariners when he homered three times and drove in seven runs.

Since that statement game, the Red Sox are 12-0 when Story drives in at least one run. Boston has won 15 of their last 16 games when Story records an RBI.

Many remain disappointed by Story’s underwhelming .221 batting average but he’s been far more productive than that one statistic suggests. He’s a streaky hitter so the batting average will fluctuate but Story has a knack for drawing walks, allowing him to find ways to get on base even when the hits aren’t falling in. His 9.9 BB% leads the team and ranks 28th in the league.

Story can impact the game in a variety of ways. His team-leading eight stolen bases ranks 13th in the AL, adding an element to the Red Sox lineup that has been lacking in recent years. Despite learning a new position, Story has provided excellent defense at second base. Story is fourth among AL second basemen with 1.5 WAR, per FanGraphs.

Don’t make the mistake of getting too hung up on a low batting average. Story has been a productive member of this team. After an adjustment period early in the season, he’s showing why he was one of the coveted stars in his free agent class.

When Story drives in runs, the Red Sox win. He’s been the best on the team in terms of racking up RBI so expect that trend to continue with Boston piling up wins as they fight for a playoff spot.