Red Sox No Longer Have a Jarren Duran Problem

May 31, 2026; Cleveland, Ohio, USA; Boston Red Sox center fielder Jarren Duran (16) hits a home run during the first inning against the Cleveland Guardians at Progressive Field. Mandatory Credit: Ken Blaze-Imagn Images Ken Blaze-Imagn Images

Red Sox No Longer Have a Jarren Duran Problem

Originally posted on Boston Red Sox on SI
By Patrick McAvoy | Last updated May 31, 2026 8:24 PM ET

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Sunday started off very poorly for the Boston Red Sox, but things took a turn in a positive direction.

Boston kicked off the day by scratching Ceddanne Rafaela from the lineup due to a sore lower back. Willson Contreras wasn't in the starting lineup on Sunday as well as he is a little banged up himself, so the club wanted to give him a day to rest. That's not all, though. Garrett Crochet had a setback in his recovery and won't be pitching to live hitters on Tuesday as planned due to lat tightness.

It was a tough morning, to say the least. But the Red Sox took care of business on the field against the Cleveland Guardians and won, 9-4. Boston took the series against the Guardians with two straight wins and scored nine runs in both games. Overall, it was a much-needed series win. One of the biggest reasons for the club's success was the play of red-hot speedster Jarren Duran. The Boston outfielder struggled to kick off the season, but has been excellent lately. On Sunday, he blasted a leadoff homer to get the Red Sox's offense going right away.

Jarren Duran Is Back

A leadoff laser for Jarren Duran pic.twitter.com/EVyH1HZYOo
— MLB (@MLB) May 31, 2026

It was his second homer of the series and 10th homer of the season so far. While there's a lot of negativity around the Red Sox's offense, Duran has clearly turned a corner and that's going to go a long way. When Duran is clicking, he is one of the most electric leadoff hitters in the game. Let's not forget this is a guy who was a 9-WAR player back in 2024. Even though the 2025 season was a slight step backwards, he was still a 4.9-WAR player.

The season started slowly for the speedster. Duran entered May slashing .170/.231/.250 with a .481 OPS, one homer and 11 RBIs in 26 games played. He entered the day on Sunday slashing .259/.320/.527 with an .847 OPS, eight homers, 21 RBIs, and five stolen bases in 26 games played throughout the month of May.

He followed up by going 1-for-3 with a homer, one RBI, two runs scored and two walks on Sunday in the series finale against Cleveland. So, Duran will finish the month of May with nine homers, 22 RBIs and five stolen bases in 27 games throughout the month of May. That's the superstar Duran can be.

With the win on Sunday, Boston is now 25-33 on the season. That isn't great, of course. But if this is the version of Duran Boston is going to get from here on out, it's going to find a way to turn things around. He's that important at the top of the order.

This article first appeared on Boston Red Sox on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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