The Boston Red Sox signed Trevor Story in 2022. He's played just 137 games in his two seasons in Beantown.
Story was regarded as a great player during his tenure with the Rockies from 2016-21, but his time with the Red Sox doesn't reflect the same level of play.
When Story was a Rockie, he earned Rookie of the Year votes, won two Silver Sluggers, made two All-Star appearances, and collected MVP votes in three separate years. Since he arrived in Boston, he's batted .227/.287/.398. Red Sox fans have never seen Story consistently live up to the hype.
Many reporters and Red Sox coaches have predicted a great 2024 season for Story. Boston fans are hesitant to believe it, and justifiably so.
Red Sox Nation doesn't know whether or not to believe in the Trevor Story hype
But this year may be different. Story is putting up quality performances in spring training and coaches have vouched for changes he's made that will improve his game.
"He’s explosive, I think his offseason program was really good and it’s the first time in three years he’s had an offseason structure like this. I think that’s going to be huge for him," hitting coach Pete Fatse said of Story to The Boston Herald (subscription required.)
The winter of 2023-24 was Story's first healthy offseason in a Red Sox uniform and he's never had so much time to prepare to play a full season of baseball with Boston. His spring training numbers have reflected his offseason efforts — after starting slow and striking out quite a bit, Story is batting .350 with a 1.035 OPS.
Hardest thing in the world right now is not overreacting to Trevor Story’s spring.
— Tyler Milliken ⚾️ (@tylermilliken_) March 21, 2024
Most of Story's poor production with the Red Sox can be attributed to injuries. Last season, he underwent a brace procedure to repair UCL damage in his throwing arm, and UCL injuries are not easy to recover from. With a full, healthy offseason to prepare, Story's bat seems to be clicking.
But more injuries could come at any time, and Story is prone to them, to say the least. The Red Sox are also frequent victims of freak accidents like a comebacker fracturing Tanner Houck's face or breaking Chris Sale's pinkie in his second start off the injured list.
If Boston fans have learned anything from the past few seasons, it's to never bank on the unknown. But if Story has a fully healthy season, he could be a huge part of the Sox's plate production and a much-needed defensive asset. We'll hang around with a cautiously optimistic perspective.