Trevor Story seems back in the swing of things for Red Sox

But in his Red Sox career, Story rarely had occasion to show off that particular skill. And so, he took particular joy in his display against Rays pitcher Ryan Pepiot on Tuesday.

Against a starter with tremendous stuff, Story battled for nine pitches — fouling off a pair of mid-90s heaters and a slider — before unloading on a 96 m.p.h. fastball on the inner edge of the plate and smashing the ball a projected 398 feet over the Monster Seats.

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His reaction was instant and dramatic. At the end of his follow-through, Story flung the bat forward like a helicopter rotor before circumnavigating the bases.

The moment (which took place in an eventual 3-1 Red Sox win) captured so much for Story: A rugged at-bat culminating in a great swing against the sort of pitch (a mid- to upper-90s heater) that has beaten him so many times in recent years.

For Story, it was a moment to celebrate — not because the feeling of hitting a ball like that was foreign, but because it wasn’t.

“It felt familiar. I think that was the best part of it,” said Story. “I hit a couple like that in Colorado that were some of my best bolts. But just given the at-bat, Pepiot has got really good stuff, close game, and just being able to finish the at-bat and win the at-bat there in the end felt great.

“I’ve felt much better in [the batter’s box], felt more like myself, and it’s just a tribute to me going out there and competing, keeping it that simple,” he added. “It’s serving me well.”

It’s also serving the Sox well. In 10 June contests entering Friday’s 2-1 extra-inning win over the Yankees, Story had forged a .308/.357/.513 line with a pair of homers — both off the same sort of high-octane fastballs that had beaten him so often in May. And Friday night, he went 1 for 4 and scored the game’s first run in the second inning of the tight affair.

Story credited a revamped mindset at the plate for his improved results. Throughout his career, he explained that he’d been a feel-based hitter who allowed his athleticism to take over in the box. But 2023-24, when rehabbing from massive injuries (elbow surgery in 2023, shoulder surgery in 2024), Story’s time on the injured list resulted in diminished feel for his craft.

Trevor Story rips a single in the second inning Friday night, and eventually comes around to score the game’s first run in the Red Sox’ 2-1 win over the Yankees in 10 innings. Matthew J. Lee/Globe Staff

He went down rabbit holes of worrying about the mechanics and shape of his swing. Finally, in late-May, he reframed his thinking.

“Since being gone for those two years, I felt like, ‘Man, when I come back, I need to be really dialed in with my swing and feel like almost there’s perfection there,’ ” said Story. “You can only do that for so long until you just kind of are like, ‘Alright, man. That’s enough of trying to have the perfect swing or trying to do it this way mechanically. Let’s get external and find a way to let the athlete come out more consistently.’ ”

Rather than thinking about his swing, Story has been focused on either the direction where he’s looking to shoot the ball or, more often, simply barreling the ball. He’s prioritized barrel accuracy over bat speed, contributing to a drop in his swings and misses (his whiff rate entering Friday was 27 percent in June, down from 31 percent in May) and a substantial jump in loud contact (a June hard-hit rate of 55 percent, up from 37 percent in May).

The results have stacked in a way that has built confidence, both for Story himself and in Story from the rest of the Sox. Because the Sox’ lineup is so heavily stacked with lefties, they need righthanded thump to offer balance.

“We need our righthanded hitters to step up,” said Sox manager Alex Cora.

Trevor Story is feeling much better at the plate, and it’s showing in the field as well, as he blows a bubble, and tosses a ball, to the crowd after the top of the fourth inning Friday at Fenway. Matthew J. Lee/Globe Staff

Story hasn’t been able to do so consistently this year. His .230/.275/.354 line for the season entering Friday was below league average in all three categories. But it’s not a coincidence that the Sox’ offensive uptick this month has coincided with Story getting hot.

“He’s definitely capable of doing things that I’m not and that a lot of us aren’t,” said teammate Rob Refsnyder. “For us to do anything substantial, having Trevor swinging like that is great.”

Story hopes that both the swing and bat flip on display against Pepiot will be seen more regularly moving forward.

“Hitting is an art form, man, and I’m starting to kind of fall back in love with that,” said Story. “[The moment against Pepiot] was the perfect one. Those are pretty rare.

“But I think just given the at-bat, given the location of the pitch, and just the reaction of it, those are the ones you think about a lot. They stay with you.”

Alex Speier can be reached at [email protected]. Follow him @alexspeier.