Trevor Story has posted an outstanding comeback season for the Boston Red Sox, and he flashed an underrated element of his game on September 16.
Story stood on first base in the bottom of the fifth inning against the A's, 90 well-timed feet from history. The shortstop took off running before reliever Mitch Spence fired a pitch to Rob Refsnyder at the plate. He dove into second base with plenty of time to secure his 30th stolen base on 30 attempts without being caught.
The A's didn't let Story have his accomplishment easily, though. Athletics manager Mark Kotsay challenged the second base umpire's "safe" ruling to put Story's 30th bag in jeopardy. New York quickly decided that Story was safe, and the latest contribution to his Comeback Player of the Year bid stood.
Story tied Trea Turner for the most bases stolen without being caught. Turner notched 30 stolen bags in 2023, his first year with the Phillies organization. If Story continues swiping at this rate, he could take sole possession of the record in the final two weeks of the season.
Trevor Story's 30 stolen bases on 30 attempts is just one small element of his rebound season with the Red Sox
30-for-30: Trevor Story ties the MLB record for most stolen bases in a season without being caught 🤯 pic.twitter.com/xgMVY9IYJH
— NESN (@NESN) September 17, 2025
Story's perfect stolen base rate is just one element of his excellent season with Boston. Even his resilience deserves praise — the 32-year-old went from the worst hitter in baseball in May to one of the Sox's most critical bats as they push to make the postseason for the first time in four years.
Story is slashing .265/.310/.439 with a .749 OPS in 147 games, and his 24 home runs lead the team. His season-long slash line is dragged down by his rough spell early in the season, but Story has been one of the Sox's most consistent bats in the second half. He's batting .345/.387/.534 with two homers and seven RBI in his last 15 games.
Story has an opt out in his contract with the Red Sox after the 2025 season ends, and his total rebound could make him much more likely to use it. ESPN insider Jeff Passan doesn't think Story will opt out, since the two years and $55 million on his contract are likely more lucrative than he could get on the free agent market at his age (he'll be 33 by Opening Day 2026).
If Story does opt out, the Red Sox have Marcelo Mayer and top prospect Mikey Romero in the mix for opportunities at shortstop, but his years of injuries and shortened seasons make it hard to believe he's going anywhere. Story is one of a few veterans in the Sox's clubhouse and his offense is well suited to Fenway Park, and his one healthy season showed how important he can be to a young team finding its way.