Boston, MA
Alex Cora explains why Boston Red Sox’ Trevor Story has struggled
BOSTON — Red Sox shortstop Trevor Story is on pace to play 151 games.
But will he hit enough to justify playing nearly every day for the rest of the season?
It hasn’t gone well for Story so far this year. Meanwhile, 22-year-old shortstop Marcelo Mayer, Baseball America‘s No. 8 overall prospect, is making a case at Triple-A Worcester with his OPS up to .819 after a slow start to the season.
Story entered Saturday with the 22nd worst OPS (.627) in the major leagues. He was batting .234 with a .276 on-base percentage and .351 slugging percentage in 44 games (181 plate appearances). He has only eight extra-base hits (six homers, two doubles).
“Physically he feels great,” manager Alex Cora said before Boston’s game against the Braves on Saturday. “And he worked his (expletive) off in the offseason to get to this point. He wanted to play a lot of games, more than 150. And I think he’s on pace to do that. But obviously I gotta be smart, too. Not only with the production, but also the body.”
Saturday marked Story’s 45th game, the most games he has played in a season since 2022. He missed most of 2023 following elbow surgery, then was limited to 26 games last year after fracturing the glenoid bone in his left shoulder during the opening road trip.
“All the metrics, all the information that we have — the bat speed is there, his hands are where they’re supposed to be. Everything looks OK,” Cora said. “The only thing we’re not doing right now is hitting the ball forward.”
Story is the bottom 10th percentile among major league hitters in chase percentage (36.7%), strikeout percentage (30.9%), walk percentage (3.9%) and squared-up percentage (17.9%).
Cora said the Red Sox felt better about Story’s at-bats Friday when he went 1-for-4 with an RBI single in the ninth. Story also has a walk and single in Saturday’s game so far.
“Just missing his pitches,” Cora said. “That’s the bottom line. I know he’s swinging a lot but he’s getting pitches in the zone and he’s fouling them off. And after that, they (pitchers) get to work.”
Cora said Story also hasn’t taken advantage even after he gets ahead in the count.
“2-0, 3-1, misses his pitches and then they bury him,” Cora said. “Early on, he wasn’t doing that. He was actually connecting and hitting the ball hard. And lately it hasn’t happened.”
Story’s 47.8% hard hit percentage is in the 73rd percentile among major league hitters. He’s also been an above-average baserunner. But all his other advanced offensive stats on Baseball Savant are between the poor and average scale (mostly poor).
Cora said it’s important for Story to make in-game adjustments.
“When he’s really good, he’s hitting the fastball. We know that,” Cora said. “And one thing that he did his first year (with the Red Sox in 2022), he was driving the ball to right-center. And I always talk about hitting the ball hard the other way. And then whatever soft is in the zone, he was able to pull.”
Story has struggled mightily on fastballs this season, going 18-for-87 (.207) with a .218 slugging percentage and just one extra-base hit (double).
Story’s best years offensively were 2018-21 — and he was able to feast on fastballs each of those seasons.
vs. fastballs:
- 2018: .306 batting average, .572 slugging percentage.
- 2019: .298 batting average, .570 slugging percentage.
- 2020: .304 batting average, .507 slugging percentage.
- 2021: .273 batting average, .498 slugging percentage.
“Right now he’s fouled them (fastballs) off,” Cora said. “Yesterday was a good sign. He stayed on a good pitch by Chris (Sale). Fouled it off but he stayed with it. And then the base hit up the middle, that was good.”
As Cora mentioned, the Red Sox feel OK with Story’s bat speed — but he ranks in the 28th percentile in that category (70.6).
Cora was asked how long the Red Sox can continue on this path with Story if he’s not producing.
“Right now, he’s not the only one struggling,” Cora said. “KC (Kristian Campbell) has struggled for 50 at-bats and we’re not talking about that. It’s a lot. Like right now, I think offensively we got some holes and it’s not because they’re bad players or bad hitters. They’re just going through a stretch right here. And we just have to get ‘em going. Start doing the little things, hit the ball the other way, get your walks. And if we start doing that as a group, we’re gonna be better.”
FIFA World Cup host cities lay out security plans ahead of matches
Host cities ramp up security and anti-human trafficking efforts ahead of FIFA World Cup matches across the U.S.
The FIFA World Cup is coming to Massachusetts, and when it comes to having a place for people to hang out together, there will be a free fan zone where everyone can celebrate the big event.
Seven World Cup matches will take place at Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, MA this summer, and the first one is right around the corner, to be played on June 13, with Scotland taking on Haiti.
Fan Zones are a public space to watch the game for people who don’t have tickets to the actual game. Held in public places, they broadcast the mach on giant screens to offer an immersive experience to watch the game, according to FIFA>
“At the heart of FIFA Fan Festival Boston, (a) Cultural Showcase will ignite the stage with a vibrant celebration of the spirit, creativity, and cultural heartbeat of Boston and communities across the Commonwealth of Massachusetts,” FIFA said.
Where will the fan zone be located when the World Cup games start in just 11 days?
Where is the World Cup fan zone going to be in Massachusetts?
The official FIFA Fan Festival for the 2026 World Cup in Boston will be located at Boston City Hall Plaza at 1 City Hall Sq. Boston, MA.
“The festival will run daily from June 12 through June 27, offering live match broadcasts, cultural showcases, food vendors, and entertainment,” according to FIFA.
The fan zone will open between 11 a.m. and 3 p.m. and will stay open until after dark, between 8:30 p.m. and 12:30 a.m. according to reports.
Activities at the fan zone
Here are some of the offerings at the fan zone in Boston, according to the FIFA website:
- Live broadcasts: Giant outdoor screens that broadcast tournament matches in high-definition.
- Entertainment & music: Live concerts, DJ sets, and performances celebrating global culture.
- Interactive activations: Skills challenges, mini-pitches, inflatable games, and sponsor booths.
- Food & merch: International food stalls, local beverage offerings, and official tournament merchandise.
How to go to the fan zone
While the game is free, you do need to register in advance.
“You can select which days and matches you plan to attend through the FIFA World Cup Boston 2026 website or the Meet Boston events page. Up to six people can register on a single application,” the World Cup Boston website says.
So you’re saying there’s a chance? Despite an abysmal start to the 2026 season, the Boston Red Sox remain in the mix for a playoff spot. At least according to FanGraphs, who gives the club a 27.1% chance of reaching the postseason.
Boston’s likely path to October means winning the wild card. FanGraphs gives the Red Sox a 26.1% chance of winning an American League wild card. The team currently sits threes games back of the third and final wild card, despite a record of 25-33.
Don’t look for a division title this year in Beantown. FanGraphs gives the Red Sox a 1% chance of winning the AL East. Which makes sense, since the team currently sits in last place, 11.5 games behind the first-place Tampa Bay Rays.
But SI’s Tom Verducci and Will Laws thinks Boston has a much tougher chance of making the playoffs. In their deep dive of the postseason, the pair came up with what they call the “Line of Doom.” According to their research, a team that starts “no better than 23–31 and your season is almost over only one-third of the way through the schedule.” Here’s why.
“In the wild card era (since 1995), only one team made the postseason starting with less than 22 wins in the first 54 games, the 2005 Astros (20–34). Of the 231 teams to start 23–31 or worse, only seven made the playoffs—once every 33 times,” Verducci and Laws note.
“Since the postseason field expanded in 2022, 31 teams began 23–31 or worse. Only one, the 2024 Mets (22–32), made the playoffs. That leaves such slow starters with a 1 in 31 chance—virtually the same as the larger sample size,” the pair add.
“The fact is one-third of the season does a good job separating pretenders from contenders. And as the calendar flips to June, understand that the playoff spots won’t change very much. In the four seasons with 12 playoff spots up for grabs, teams in playoff position when May ended kept a playoff spot 73% of the time—35 of 48 teams,” Verducci and Laws conclude.
So what does this have to do with the Red Sox, you ask? It’s Boston’s record after 54 games: 23-31. The “Line of Doom.”
More MLB: Red Sox Legend Backs ‘Worried’ John Henry
-
Alaska7 minutes agoUniversity of Alaska names U.S. Army commander as new UAF chancellor
-
Arizona9 minutes agoDiamondbacks Fans Can Now Vote for Arizona’s All-Stars
-
Arkansas14 minutes agoArkansas DFA Agents seize illegal products in Corning
-
California21 minutes agoCalifornia may take weeks to finalize primary results. ‘This is normal’
-
Colorado25 minutes agoColorado governor vetoes block on surveillance pricing as other states push for bans
-
Connecticut30 minutes agoAfternoon forecast for June 3
-
Delaware36 minutes ago
FOX43 News
-
Florida40 minutes agoRainy stretch continues in South Florida
