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Photo: Michael Dwyer / AP
Ladies and gentlemen. Trevor John Story is back! The former Rockies shortstop signed a 6-year, $140 million contract with the Boston Red Sox this offseason, and for the first month of the season, he struggled mightily. People were calling for his job and for the Red Sox to resign their current shortstop, Xander Bogaerts, who some speculate Story will replace after this season. Then it happened. On May 11th, 2022, Trevor Story hit his first home run in a Red Sox uniform, vs. the Atlanta Braves. It was to the deepest part of the ballpark, to dead center field, and it sparked something. 2 series later, against the Seattle Mariners, he broke out. In game 1, hitting 3 home runs and driving in 7 runs. In the next game vs. 2021 Cy Young award winner Robbie Ray, he hit a grand slam which was the go-ahead run. He took game 3 off from going yard, but he hit another home run in game 4, which the Sox went on to win in extras. Next up was the White Sox, and Boston didn't miss a beat. They put up 16 runs in both games 1 and 3, with Trevor hitting a 3-run bomb in both 16-run outbursts. I don’t want to hear any more of the “oh he played at Coors, his numbers will drop off”, or “have you seen his home/away splits”. If he played at Fenway as his primary park in 2019 he would have hit 42 home runs, compared to the 35 that he actually hit. He brings more speed than Bogaerts, as he already has 6 stolen bases, compared to 2 of Xander. He is also a better defender, with +9 runs saved in 2021, compared to Bogey's -2. Trevor has also made some very nice plays at 2nd base, and is getting better every day. The Red Sox will heavily rely on Story hitting homers and doubles, as he takes the pressure off of the middle of the order, and provides valuable protection for Xander Bogaerts and Alex Verdugo. As of the writing of this blog, he has a .228 average, 9 homers, 9 doubles, and 37 RBI’s. He’s never been a .300 hitter, but brings 30-30 potential to the table, and around 90-100 RBI’s. With the Sox trying to get back to .500 on the season, a good Story could help Boston have a storybook ending.