In 2013, Trevor Story had just finished a dismal season in Single-A Modesto, where he had dropped out of every baseball prospect list ranked in the top 100. Receiving a text from the player whose position he planned to take was the last thing he anticipated.
And then, there it was: a request to spend a week of private training with Troy Tulowitzki, the All-Star shortstop for the Rockies, in Las Vegas that December. Together, the two gave it their all—the 21-year-old former first-round pick attempting to make it to the major leagues, and the 29-year-old slugging Gold Glover.
After they were done, Tulowitzki posed a straightforward query to Story.
“Do you believe that we put in more labor than everyone else? Is there anyone in the league?”
“I don’t think so,” Story answered.
“That’s the necessary condition for being the league’s best shortstop,” stated Tulowitzki.
Ten years later, Story is returning the favor. David Hamilton, Nick Yorke, and Vaughn Grissom are among the Red Sox infield prospects with whom he recently hosted his first “Story Camp” in Texas. Young first baseman Triston Casas joined the group, but top prospect Marcelo Mayer was unable to attend since he had not been permitted to begin baseball workouts after a season-ending shoulder injury.
They played pickup basketball, went to the batting cages and weight room together, and went infield together. Being one of the few seasoned players still playing, Story made it his mission to mentor the next generation in the same way that Tulowitzki had assisted him.
“Being around Tulo and seeing his leadership, seeing the way he worked, really just had a big imprint on me and it carried me a long way, and it still does,” he stated. “So being able to hopefully relay some of that to these young guys … just trying to create that culture a little bit more.”
Perhaps the most important player on the team is Story. Story is the only potentially noteworthy addition to the Red Sox after a disastrous winter in which they added very little net talent to a team that finished in last place.
After Story’s August elbow surgery, the Red Sox’s awful infield defense got better. He played in just 43 games, but his shortstop rating of eight outs over average placed him fourth in the American League. He easily would have won his first Gold Glove if he had played the entire season at that pace.
Because of a modified Tommy John surgery from last January, he has one of the weaker arms in the game, which made the performance even more amazing. His entire offseason was affected by the surgery, which also caused timing problems at the plate, as he only hit.203 with 55 strikeouts in 168 plate appearances.
Story intends to return to the form that helped him become a two-time All-Star in Colorado. He will have a whole offseason to prepare for 2024. Story needs to perform like the all-around superstar that he is if the Red Sox are to have any hope of winning the pennant.
“That’s important to me, because I pride myself on being a well-rounded player,” Story stated. And I am aware of who I am. And in my first few years here in Boston, I haven’t demonstrated that. Although the defense has been there, I can’t wait to introduce Boston and the fans to my whole package. I believe that will be my first opportunity to accomplish that.
Coaches and teammates have already noticed the difference.
Hitting coach Peter Fatse remarked, “That’s a guy that was playing through some things and we all know the athleticism he brings.” “The physicality of his strolling around here is evident. When I saw him last week, we spent the final few days of his stay in Boston before this, and he looked fantastic. He is traveling well. In the end, those are the kinds of indications you want to be looking for right now.
He’s a firecracker. It’s the first time he’s had an offseason regimen like this in around three years, and I thought his offseason program was pretty terrific. Thus, I believe that will be really important for him.”
Beyond gaining Story’s skill, the Red Sox are severely lacking in leadership due to the departures of veterans Adam Duvall and Justin Turner and the fact that Rafael Devers, the only superstar on the team, is more of a follower. The story is trying to bridge that gap.
Ten years prior, the guy he would eventually succeed as Colorado’s franchise shortstop taught him this lesson. It’s all about the big picture, though, and maybe one of his young charges at Story Camp will do the same to him someday.
Story stated, “You want good players around you.” “That concludes it. There is no other way to succeed. I absolutely approached (Tulowitzki) in the same way. Despite the fact that these guys technically play the same position as me, it’s all about the team and developing that culture so that we can keep this going for a very long time.