Boston Red Sox
Duran’s hit three homers in the first week of spring training, including two against lefties.
Jarren Duran has already hit three home runs in spring training. (Photo by: Barry Chin/Globe Staff)
February 28, 2026 | 5:08 PM
2 minutes to read
Maybe the power bat the Red Sox were looking for this offseason was on the roster this whole time.
Jarren Duran hit two home runs in the Red Sox’ Grapefruit League game against the Twins on Saturday. Duran went yard in his first at-bat, turning righty Taj Bradley’s 97 mph fastball into a 401-foot blast to center.
But arguably the more impressive homer from Duran came in the fourth inning. Duran hit a 409-foot homer to center off lefty Kendry Rojas’s 94 mph fastball.
Duran’s home run against Rojas was his second in as many days against a left-handed pitcher. He hit a 409-foot homer to right center off Braves ace and former Red Sox star Chris Sale’s 79 mph slider on Friday.
It’s certainly a positive development for Duran, who has struggled against lefties for much of his career. The 29-year-old left-handed hitter has a career .232 batting average and .620 OPS against southpaws in his career. He also has just eight homers in 558 career plate appearances against lefties.
The 2025 season was particularly rough for Duran against lefties. He hit just .211 with a .600 OPS and three homers in 209 plate appearances in lefty-on-lefty matchups last year.
With Duran taking a step back at the plate in 2025, the prevailing thought entering the offseason was that he would be the odd man out in the Red Sox’ outfield. However, a trade involving Duran never materialized, with the Red Sox’ asking price for the outfielder reportedly being too high.
Even though Duran remained with the team, there were some questions about what role he would be entering spring training. Red Sox manager Alex Cora said that the plan this season was to have right fielder Wilyer Abreu be a part of Boston’s lineup when it goes up against lefties, which would limit the amount of time Duran would spend on the field.
But maybe a strong showing from Duran in spring training could throw a wrench into those plans. Following his 2-for-2 day at the plate on Saturday (which included a walk), Duran is now 7-for-12 at the plate (.583) with three home runs and two doubles this spring.
Duran was the Red Sox’ designated hitter on Saturday, which could be his likely role for Boston in 2026 with Roman Anthony, Ceddanne Rafaela, and Abreu occupying the outfield. He also hit in the three spot in the Red Sox’ lineup, as he has all spring training. With Anthony locked into the leadoff spot, Boston will almost certainly go with a lefty in the three-hole to balance the top of the order. So, weeks like the one Duran is having make him a strong candidate to take that spot.
Certainly, the power that Duran’s displayed through the first week of spring training would make him a strong fit for the three spot. While Duran’s been among the top hitters at generating doubles, he hasn’t displayed a ton of power in his career. He’s logged 37 homers over the last two seasons, posting 16 in 2025.
Even after an offseason of trade rumors, though, there does seem to be some optimism surrounding Duran within the Red Sox’ organization.
“I know it’s early, but JD seems like a different hitter,” Cora told reporters earlier this week. “Hitting the ball really hard to the pull side. Getting to some pitches that last year probably he didn’t get [to], and expecting a lot of big things from him.”
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