Red Sox's Alex Cora Sends Trevor Story Message After Sweeping Orioles

Where would the Boston Red Sox be right now without Trevor Story?

It's been a renaissance year for the two-time All-Star, especially after he got off to a rocky start through the end of May. He's put up the fourth 20-20 season of his career, and in a four-game sweep of the Baltimore Orioles this week, he put on a dazzling display.

Already with a home run and stolen base in Tuesday's game, Story blasted another jack to left field to open the scoring on Thursday. Then, late in the game, he made two massive defensive plays, most notably a diving snag that turned into a double play with two runners in scoring position, to help seal the sweep.

Alex Cora talks about Story's special season

At the conclusion of play on Thursday, Story has 22 home runs and 23 stolen bases without being caught once. He's third among all shortstops with 84 RBIs, and leads all of Major League Baseball in game-winning RBIs with 19.

It was hard to see this coming for Story after three straight years of fighting through injuries. But manager Alex Cora always knew he could perform like this if he could stay on the field.

"Last year, he made a point of playing in September," Cora said, via NESN. "If it was someone else, he could have mailed it in, say, "You know what, I'm going to rehab, get ready for next year," but he wanted to play. He wanted to be with the boys. He missed the game.

"All that work he put (in) last year is paying off. Obviously, in the offseason, everything he does for the team is amazing, but he prepares, man. He has a team around him. He's a very special player. We're very happy for him."

Story, of course, suffered a shoulder injury last April that required surgery, but returned in time to play 18 games in September. He then hosted "Story Camp," a gathering of Red Sox position players involving workouts and team bonding, at his training facility in Texas for the third straight offseason.

A healthy Story has made all the difference for the Red Sox this season, and for the last three months, he's been not only one of the best shortstops, but the best all-around players in all of baseball.