Boston Red Sox
Boston’s skipper singled out shortstop Trevor Story and ace Garrett Crochet as leaders of this year’s club.
With less than two weeks until Opening Day, this year’s Red Sox team is beginning to fall into place.
Newcomer Caleb Durbin has all but been named Boston’s starting third baseman. The organization inked southpaw relief pitcher Danny Coulombe to a one-year, $1 million deal Thursday to shore up its bullpen. Some Red Sox who competed in the World Baseball Classic have returned to Fort Myers, including starting pitcher Brayan Bello.
A couple of question marks remain, however. Boston has yet to determine who its fifth starter in its rotation will be as Connelly Early, Johan Oviedo, and Payton Tolle continue to vie for the role.
Additionally, who will fill the leadership role in the clubhouse this season following Alex Bregman’s departure?
Manager Alex Cora offered an answer to the latter question Friday.
“[Garrett] Crochet and Trevor Story,” Cora said on “Foul Territory.” “Those two.”
Story, 33, will play his 11th MLB season in 2026 and his fifth as a member of the Red Sox. He is coming off a healthy year in which he played in 157 games, his first fully healthy campaign since signing with Boston in 2022. Story had played in 163 total games between 2022-24 due to various injuries.
Cora explained that Story is a lead-by-example type of leader, a role he grew into last season thanks to his impeccable health.
“I mean, what Trevor did last year, he played 154 games (he played in 157). That says a lot, right?” Cora said. “The way he goes about it, he’s not a vocal leader. He’s not gonna get in people’s faces, but he will show up and prepare. And he’s gonna play hard, which is very important.”
Story led all Red Sox batters in home runs (25), RBI (96), runs (91), and total hits (161) last season. He has garnered a reputation for being an athletic and aggressive defender; Story made a number of highlight-reel across-the-body, jumping throws to first base. Cora likely wants younger players, perhaps such as fellow infielder Marcelo Mayer, to model their own game after Story’s.
With Story coming off a bounce-back season and in great health, plus given his veteran status, the player feels like a no-brainer leader in the clubhouse in 2026.
Crochet, who’s seven years younger than Story, doesn’t have the veteran status Story does. Crochet entered the league in 2020 with the Chicago White Sox, but only became a starter, and a top-tier arm, in the last couple of years. 2024 marked his first season as a full-time starter when he was still with the White Sox, and 2025, his first year in Boston, saw him in an American League Cy Young battle alongside the ultimate winner, the Detroit Tigers’ Tarik Skubal.
Crochet led MLB in strikeouts (255) and threw the second-most innings of any pitcher in the league (205.1). He was named the Red Sox’ Opening Day starter and thus was already the team’s ace on paper, but his performances every five days solidified him as the best starter the club has seen since Chris Sale.
Each time Crochet took the mound last season, fans and his teammates alike felt increased confidence in the club’s chances of winning. That has organically made him a leader in Boston.
Cora offered high praise for Crochet, comparing his consistency and dominance to that of Skubal today.
“And then you’ve got Crochet every five days. That’s something that good teams have,” Cora said. “Max Fried last year, Gerrit Cole with the Yankees a few years ago … Skubal with Detroit.”
Drawing a comparison between Crochet and hurlers from the past, Cora gave some Hall of Fame names.
“Having Crochet every five days — that’s a leader right there,” Cora added. “He’s like Randy Johnson back in the day. Curt Schilling, Pedro Martinez. Every five days, you know you’re gonna have that guy, either he’s gonna extend the winning streak or stop the losing streak. And that’s a luxury that we have.”
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