Defense has been a problem for the Boston Red Sox in 2025. They lead the major leagues in errors, 115 errors, and own a league-worst .980 fielding percentage.
Trevor Story is at the center of the infield. He’s played shortstop in almost every game for the Red Sox this season. He’s been a steady presence in the middle of the infield for most of the season, but has had issues in September.
In the sixth inning of Thursday’s game against the Toronto Blue Jays, Story fielded a routine ground ball, but his throw took Nathaniel Lowe off the bag and gifted Vladimir Guerrero Jr with first base. The Blue Jays went on to score six runs in the inning, enough to win by a 6-1 margin.
It was Story’s seventh error in 21 games since the start of September. Most of the errors have been throwing the ball, though one came on Wednesday when he was receiving the ball at second base. He’s played in 155 games this season, but isn’t using that as an excuse.
“Late in the season, your body can get tired, but that’s no excuse. It’s really just not finishing the play. I gotta be obviously very diligent about finishing the throw, and I haven’t done that,” Story said.
While Story isn’t willing to use the workload as an excuse, it’s fair to wonder if it’s taken a toll on his body. The veteran hasn’t played a full season since 2021 and hasn’t missed a game since late May.
Fortunately for the Red Sox, their next opponent, the Detroit Tigers, strikes out at one of the highest rates in baseball. While they’ll still need to play clean defense to win a game and clinch the playoffs, their pitchers should be able to do some of the work themselves.
