In a perfect world, the Boston Red Sox wouldn’t be playing Jarren Duran in center field at all.

The Red Sox have Ceddanne Rafaela, who should be the Gold Glove winner for the American League in center this year, and probably the Platinum Glove winner as well. But they’re being forced to play Rafaela at second base and slide Duran from left field to center a lot these days, thanks to infielder Marcelo Mayer’s stint on the injured list.

It has also been a difficult defensive year for Duran on the whole, possibly the most noticeable change from his 2024 season into 2025. He totaled 10 outs above average on defense last season, per Baseball Savant; this year, he’s at -2.

May 30, 2025; Cumberland, Georgia, USA; Boston Red Sox left fielder Jarren Duran (16) catches a fly ball hit by Atlanta Braves third baseman Austin Riley (27) (not pictured) during the eighth inning at Truist Park. Mandatory Credit: Dale Zanine-Imagn Images / Dale Zanine-Imagn Images

Duran played a little more center field than left field in 2024, whereas before Mayer got hurt, he was barely playing in center at all. Oddly enough, though center is harder for most outfielders to cover than left, Duran seems to be better at handling the former.

In 2024, Duran had three OAA in left field, compared to seven in center. This year, he’s at -4 OAA in left, with two in center. And he admits that center comes more naturally to him, though it’s not the position the Red Sox would prefer to have him playing.

“I’m not going to say it’s easy because nowhere is easy,” Duran told Jen McCaffrey of The Athletic. “But it’s a little easier to see the ball off the bat in center field than it is for me in a corner, especially at Fenway, where I’m the closest left field to the hitter in the league.”

Duran also made a somewhat concerning admission, from the Red Sox’s perspective: his defensive mentality in left field has been lacking this year.

“Last year, I played center and had that mentality of like, I’m just gonna go after every single ball like it was mine,” he told McCaffrey. “I’ve definitely gotten passive this year in left.”

Though it may be easy to get passive in left when Rafaela is running down everything in center, the Red Sox still benefit from a unique left field shape at Fenway Park, and it would mark a competitive advantage if Duran could improve his defense there.

When Mayer eventually returns to the lineup, Duran should be back in left field full-time. Ideally, he will have learned some tips and tricks to keep himself tracking down balls as though he’s still in center.