The Boston Red Sox tied a franchise record on Wednesday afternoon. A 6-3 win over the Baltimore Orioles in the opener of a doubleheader at Fenway Park gave Boston its 15th consecutive win, matching the 1946 club for the longest streak in franchise history. The run ended later that night with a 5-1 loss in the nightcap, but what the Red Sox accomplished over the last three weeks has already changed the trajectory of their season.
A team that sat at 32-46 on June 24 has played itself into the postseason race. The record is above .500. The wild-card spot is theirs. The identity has completely shifted.
Through all of it, one of their most recognizable players has been fighting through the worst stretch of his career.
Duran Does Not Hide From the Numbers
Jarren Duran has struggled all season, and he is the first person to say it.
“I’ve been obviously the worst player in baseball this entire year, and it’s not hiding anywhere” Duran said.
That is classic Duran. The self-assessment was an exaggeration, but the frustration behind it was not. His .190 batting average is among the lowest marks among qualified hitters in the majors. His .251 on-base percentage ranks second last. His .342 slugging percentage sits near the bottom of the league. For a player who earned an All-Star selection in 2024 and put together a career-best campaign, the drop-off has been difficult to watch.
Interim manager Chad Tracy has stuck with Duran through the slump, though adjustments have been made. Duran has been dropped to the bottom third of the order and used in nearly a platoon arrangement, with Jahmai Jones getting starts against left-handed pitching. He was dropped to the eighth spot recently, something that had happened just once before, last September.
The demotion reflects the reality. So does Duran’s willingness to own it rather than look for excuses.
GettyBOSTON, MA – JULY 22: Jarren Duran #16 of the Boston Red Sox heads for the dugout after flying out to end game two of the doubleheader, a 5-1 loss to the Baltimore Orioles, at Fenway Park on July 22, 2026 in Boston, Massachusetts. (Photo By Winslow Townson/Getty Images)
What Duran Has Still Contributed to the Red Sox
The batting average has been ugly, but Duran has not disappeared entirely. He has 13 home runs this season, only three behind what he hit in all of 2025. The power has kept him relevant even when the consistency has not been there.
During Wednesday’s record-tying win, Duran delivered one of the biggest swings of the streak. He drove a first-inning fastball into the right-field corner for a two-run triple that helped build an early cushion. He added a sacrifice fly in the third for another RBI. On a day that mattered as much as any regular-season game can, Duran showed up.
It was a reminder that the talent is still there, even when the results over the full season have not reflected it. Duran is capable of changing a game in a single at-bat. The challenge has been doing it with regularity.
GettyBOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS – JULY 20: Jarren Duran #16 of the Boston Red Sox looks on after hitting a sacrifice fly to bring home Willson Contreras #40 (not pictured) in the second inning against the Baltimore Orioles at Fenway Park on July 20, 2026 in Boston, Massachusetts. (Photo by Jaiden Tripi/Getty Images)
The Mentality Behind the Struggles
When the streak ended Wednesday night, the final image told the story. Duran lined out softly to second base to end the game, headed back toward the dugout without showing emotion, then snapped his bat before reaching the bench.
The frustration is real. So is the self-awareness. Duran acknowledged that his teammates have been carrying him through this stretch and said he could not ask for a better group around him. There was no deflection. No excuses. Just a player who understands exactly where he stands and appreciates the people holding things together while he searches for answers.
That kind of honesty from a player going through what he is going through says something about the culture Tracy has built in this clubhouse.
GettyBOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS – JULY 22: (L-R) Wilyer Abreu #52 of the Boston Red Sox, Ceddanne Rafaela #3, and Jarren Duran #16 embrace in the outfield after their ninth inning win over the Baltimore Orioles during game one of a doubleheader at Fenway Park on July 22, 2026 in Boston, Massachusetts. (Photo by Jaiden Tripi/Getty Images)
Final Word for the Red Sox
Jarren Duran’s 2026 season has not gone the way he expected. The numbers are difficult to look at. The former All-Star knows that better than anyone, and he is not pretending otherwise.
But the Red Sox have kept winning around him, and Duran has kept showing up. The two-run triple during the record-tying victory was proof that even in the worst season of his career, he can still deliver when it matters.
The slump is real. So is the competitor trying to fight his way out of it.
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