Okay children, it's Story time.
For this team to do anything, we're really going to need a full, effective season from Trevor Story. He showed at the end of last year that his defense was back, as he was vastly, vastly better than the guys we ran out there all year before his return.
He didn't hit at all last year though, so that's another question mark, in addition to his health.
After a very encouraging spring training, Story has had a slow offensive start to the season, but things started looking better on Tuesday when he cracked a couple of hard fastballs for big hits.
The Glob has a Story on it:
https://www.bostonglobe.com/2024/04/03/sports/trevor-story-red-sox/
https://www.masslive.com/redsox/2024/01/why-red-soxs-trevor-story-held-winter-camp-to-entrench-himself-with-team.html
There have been some promising signs so far at least.
View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zJWZDa2uxtA
View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UyBHYH8dq5s
For this team to do anything, we're really going to need a full, effective season from Trevor Story. He showed at the end of last year that his defense was back, as he was vastly, vastly better than the guys we ran out there all year before his return.
He didn't hit at all last year though, so that's another question mark, in addition to his health.
After a very encouraging spring training, Story has had a slow offensive start to the season, but things started looking better on Tuesday when he cracked a couple of hard fastballs for big hits.
The Glob has a Story on it:
https://www.bostonglobe.com/2024/04/03/sports/trevor-story-red-sox/
Story belted a couple of hard fastballs on Tuesday for big hits, which is really promising.In 2023, given his limitations after a lengthy recovery from offseason elbow surgery, he lacked the explosiveness in his swing to do much more than survive. Thus far, the Sox are seeing signs of the player they hope they can pair with Rafael Devers in the middle of the lineup.
“I’m very encouraged,” said hitting coach Pete Fatse. “The zone contact rates on fastballs are right where we’re targeting, around 85 percent. He’s battling. That’s the most important thing.
Last year, Story simply seemed to lack the bat speed, mechanics, and timing to do anything against the huge velocity that seems to be everywhere in the game. He went 0 for 7 with five strikeouts against pitches at 98 m.p.h. or higher last season, making him a mark for hard-throwing relievers late in games.
Despite a strong spring, the first handful of regular-season games in 2024 didn’t afford a glimpse of a different version of story. Tuesday night’s 5-4 extra-inning victory in Oakland did.
“It’s good to see something he couldn’t do last year,” said manager Alex Cora.
Best shape of his life? His bat speed at least seems better.With a man on third and two outs in the top of the seventh, Story got his hands inside a 98 m.p.h. sinker from righthander Lucas Erceg, lining a game-tying single to right. Even more impressive, two innings later, against the sizzling fastball of Mason Miller, Story choked up and attacked a 101 m.p.h. first-pitch fastball, drilling a double to right for his third hit of the game.
“It’s been a while since I felt that,” Story said. “When I hit the ball on a line to right field with those fastballs, I think that’s a good sign for me. And then, if something’s hung in the zone, maybe I can pull that pitch.
“But that’s always an indicator for me — how those balls are coming off my bat. If they’re coming off on a line to the right side, it’s good for me.”
Story finally had a full spring training this year, for the first time with the Red Sox. And he showed leadership and commitment this offseason by hosting "Story Camp" for the young infielders.Story invested considerable offseason work in getting to a point where such outcomes would be possible. A year ago, he had to cheat on fastballs, leaving him vulnerable to everything else. This offseason, he not only worked to regain strength (and thus bat speed) but also tried to simplify his mechanics, particularly his leg lift, to be more efficient.
For Story, an up-the-middle approach puts him in position to drive fastballs of elite velocity to the opposite field while pulling breaking stuff to left, an approach somewhat similar to that espoused by J.D. Martinez.
“It may not even be sometimes where you’re getting hits, but you’re just fighting it off to get another pitch. It’s the effects that can have. I think that’s really going to pay dividends long-term. He’s in a good place when he’s using the whole field. It’s just something we’re trying to keep going right now.”
https://www.masslive.com/redsox/2024/01/why-red-soxs-trevor-story-held-winter-camp-to-entrench-himself-with-team.html
Despite a couple of bad plays yesterday, his defense has overall looked good again this year. Health and his bat will probably determine what the true Story will be going forward.As promised late in the season, shortstop Trevor Story hosted a handful of young infielders for a group training session near his home in Dallas over the last few days. According to pictures released by the Red Sox, who dubbed the event “Story Camp,” Story was joined by first baseman Triston Casas, middle infielder David Hamilton, new trade acquisition (and Story’s expected double play partner) Vaughn Grissom and second base prospect Nick Yorke. The group worked out in the weight room, played basketball and football, took infield and swung in the cage during their time in Texas. They worked out on the field at Dallas Baptist University and even took in Tuesday’s Mavericks-Grizzlies game.
There have been some promising signs so far at least.
View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zJWZDa2uxtA
View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UyBHYH8dq5s
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