Duran was coming off a hot July where he put up an incredible 1.094 OPS, but he’s been very mediocre in the other months of the season, never recording an OPS of above .759 (April) in a full calendar month’s worth of games. This is Duran’s worst offensive season since he broke into the scene for the Red Sox in 2023, as his .782 OPS (including his production against the Orioles on Monday) is his worst since becoming a full-time big-league regular.
For Red Sox manager Alex Cora, performing better at the plate is all going to be all about greater pitch selection for Duran, as he tends to chase pitches that are difficult to square up.
“[He’s chasing pitches down in the zone. He did miss some good pitches yesterday (against the Yankees) when we put pressure on them,” Cora said, per Christopher Smith of Mass Live.
For Cora, he sees that the Red Sox left fielder, when he exhibits greater plate discipline, is able to make great contact and hit the ball hard. But that is only half the battle.
“I was just looking in our system and he’s hitting the ball hard. The expected numbers are good. He’s not chasing as much. Just one of those that — he’ll be OK. Just gotta be patient and he needs to be patient, too,” Cora added.
Red Sox do it as a team
The Red Sox have managed to escape the treadmill of mediocrity thanks to a major team effort, weathering a down season from Duran, who posted a 6.8 WAR in 2024 (per Fangraphs) and is only on pace for a 3.8 WAR campaign.
There isn’t anyone on the Red Sox roster that’s not pulling their weight. They have eight position players who have recorded 2.0 WAR or more on the season, and on the pitching front, Garrett Crochet isn’t the only one on point, with Brayan Bello also pitching very well as of late.
It’s this well-rounded roster the Red Sox have that makes them such a dangerous team to face, as nearly any player could pop off at any moment.
