Slump Over for Jarren Duran? Red Sox Star Candid After Big Night

Two barrels, two fantastic catches

May 19, 2026; Kansas City, Missouri, USA; Boston Red Sox left fielder Jarren Duran (16) runs to first base after hitting a three-run home run in the ninth inning against the Kansas City Royals at Kauffman Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Peter Aiken-Imagn Images | Peter Aiken-Imagn Images

On a night when the Boston Red Sox topped three runs scored for the first time in a 10-game stretch, no one felt more relief than Jarren Duran.

It was Duran's three-run home run that broke things open in the top of the ninth inning, as Boston led the Kansas City Royals just 3-1 at the time, and had just seen an insurance run cut down on a strong throw home from the outfield. On the night, Duran finished 2-3 with six total bases, two walks, and raised his season OPS from .548 to .593.

There's a long way for Duran to keep climbing if he wants to erase the damage a slow start did to his perceived star status, or in terms that matter more to him, the Red Sox's spot in the standings. Tuesday night was a good start, but Duran knows he's far from the finish line.

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What Duran said about big night

“I wish I could say yes, but it’s baseball and every single day I come in here, I gotta find the swing again,” Duran said when asked if his approach was in a good spot or back to normal, via Christopher Smith of MassLive.

“I know a bunch of hitters are gonna relate to that, but it’s a daily grind to come in here and feel the good feels that you just felt the night before, especially having a night like this — to help find it again tomorrow. So maybe I won’t take any swings tomorrow and I’ll just roll with what I had tonight.”

Even in this game, not everything went perfectly for Duran. In his second-to-last at-bat, he was gunned down trying for his first triple of the season on a perfect relay from Lane Thomas to Bobby Witt Jr. to Maikel Garcia. He's pacing well below the 14 and 13 triples he had in each of the last two years, quite obviously.

Per Smith, Duran joked that he'd sleep at Kauffman Stadium if the Royals would allow him. It's obvious how badly the 29-year-old wants to get back to his All-Star standards and propel the team alongside him -- but there's no way to truly will that into existence.

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