Red Sox's Unexpected Playoff X-Factor No One Saw Coming

The Boston Red Sox are gearing up for the playoffs and there is a guy on the roster who looks like he's going to be an X-factor, which at one point was unthinkable.

Trevor Story returned to the lineup on Aug. 30 with little fanfare after missing more than three months of the season after undergoing sports hernia surgery. Story clearly was hampered by the injury to kick off the 2026 season and he struggled offensively as a result. That's part of the reason why he returned with little fanfare. Boston fans are passionate and not afraid to say their opinions and Story was someone who felt the heat as a result. But he has looked like a completely different player since returning to the field.

Story has played in 19 games since being activated off the Injured List and has been one of the best overall players in Boston's lineup throughout this playoff push. Story has slashed .338/.355/.514 with an .869 OPS, two home runs, 10 RBIs, one stolen base, seven doubles and eight runs scored since his big return. Clearly, he's healthy and Boston is lucky to have him back. It's important to note that he hasn't just been good offensively, but also defensively. Story has recorded just one error since coming back into the fold.

The Red Sox's Lineup Is Much More Balanced

Sep 16, 2026; Arlington, Texas, USA; Boston Red Sox shortstop Trevor Story (10) looks on during the game between the Rangers and the Red Sox at Globe Life Field. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

We've seen the best version of Story since returning from the Injured List and this changes the calculus for Boston's lineup. For much of the season, the biggest weakness for the Red Sox was a lack of offense. With Story on the shelf, that also made Boston's lineup more lefty-heavy, which is easier to plan against, especially in a playoff series.

When Ceddanne Rafaela returns from the Injured List, the Red Sox will have arguably the best and most well-balanced lineup in the American League playoffs, especially with the New York Yankees missing Aaron Judge. On the day Story and Roman Anthony returned, Boston rolled with the following lineup:

Roman Anthony, DH — L
Ceddanne Rafaela, CF — R
Wilyer Abreu, RF — L
Willson Contreras, 1B — R
Adley Rutschman, C — S
Caleb Durbin, 3B — R
Jarren Duran, LF — L
Trevor Story, SS — R
Nick Sogard, 2B — S

Since then, there have been plenty of variations. All in all, this is a deep lineup, especially with Story red-hot closer to the bottom of the lineup. He has bounced around over the last few weeks, including batting fourth on Sunday. When he returned, it wasn't clear how much of an impact he would have. That's especially the case because he really didn't hit well on his rehab assignment, which is why it made sense to plug him in eighth in his return.

If the Red Sox roll out this type of lineup in a playoff game, or even insert Mickey Gasper as the DH and move Anthony to left field, we're talking about a lineup that can stack up hits from No. 1 through No. 9. If you have this version of Story towards the bottom of the lineup, there really are no holes. Jarren Duran has specifically struggled this season, but he has had plenty of power and has stacked up RBIs. If you have a lineup like this, there would be questions about Duran getting on base, but then the Red Sox would have guys behind him who could pick him up.

All in all, Story has made Boston better since getting back into the lineup. The Red Sox can move him all over the place in the lineup and still have coverage everywhere. A healthy Story balances Boston's lineup. If he can keep up this level of play, it's going to be very hard for a team to knock Boston out.

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