On top of being one of the faces of the Boston Red Sox, Jarren Duran has also become an advocate for mental health. The 29-year-old outfielder has been open about his issues with anxiety and how it has affected him at the plate.
That’s why he’s trying to get past that and take a new approach to his life and his game. In an interview with Jen McCaffrey of The Athletic, the All-Star MVP admitted that looking back on some of his bad games has made him realize howunimportant they were:
“I was just doing some self-reflection and at the end of the season, like, ‘Why was I so worried about all of that?’ Duran said. “My mom always tells me, ‘In five years, is this going to matter?’ Just something clicked when I was doing some mental relapse after the season.”
Moreover, Durran is trying to be a little more like former teammate Alex Bregman and New York Yankees star Aaron Judge. Despite being two of the most dominant sluggers in the game, they go through cold stretches like everyone else, yet they remain even-keeled:
“I’m like, ‘Dude, I don’t even remember that situation or at-bat, why did I care so much?’. You look at guys like (Aaron) Judge or (Alex) Bregman and these guys never look upset. Those are guys that you look up to. They are great players in this game. That’s what makes them so great and that’s what stands out, even if they get out or they get a hit, they’re the same. I want to be that for my teammates,” he added.
Durran is going through a bit of a slump to start the season. Thus far, he’s logged just a couple of hits in 18 plate appearances for a slash line of .154/.389/.154 with one RBI and two stolen bases.
Clearly, that’s far from ideal for someone who’s supposed to be one of the offensive catalysts for Alex Cora’s team. However, this first challenge will also give him the perfect opportunity to test his new approach and figure out ways to get out of his own head without resorting to self-destructive behavior.