The Boston Red Sox have already clinched a postseason berth, and they’re one win or a Chicago White Sox loss away from securing the second Wild Card spot.
That would set up a best-of-three Wild Card Series beginning next Tuesday at Yankee Stadium in the Bronx against the New York Yankees.
While the Red Sox are dealing with some injuries, one sure thing at this point is their pitching rotation and how deep their outfield is.
Red Sox Have Tough Jarren Duran Decision
However, for the outfield in particular, you only have three spots to fill, and in the playoffs, you’re going to consistently put out the three guys who are producing the most.
With that, former All-Star Jarren Duran could very well be the odd man out, and manager Chad Tracy is going to have a very challenging decision on a nightly basis. He’ll likely have to keep Duran on the bench unless he deems his bat strong enough to play as the designated hitter.
That would certainly be a controversial decision given Duran does have 20 home runs and 69 RBIs. However, he’s hitting just .208 while slugging a poor .364 with a .629 OPS.
Jarren Duran reached 20/20 last night. He’s hitting .207 with a .629 OPS.
The lowest OPS in a 20/20 season ever was Anthony Volpe’s .666 OPS in his 21 HR / 24 SB season in 2023.
The lowest AVG in a 20/20 season ever was Oneil Cruz’s .200 AVG in his 20 HR / 38 SB season in 2025. pic.twitter.com/nKzkdXCaP5
— Gordo (@BOSSportsGordo) September 24, 2026
Who Will Start in the Outfield?
The growing expectation is that Roman Anthony will start in left field, with an occasional DH stint, which is when Duran would probably have the opportunity to fill in. Ceddanne Rafaela would be out in center field, and Wilyer Abreu would start in right.
Not to mention, the Red Sox still have a guy like Jahmai Jones in the picture, and while he’ll more than likely be a bench bat, he has also spent time at DH since the Red Sox acquired him midseason and has posted the best OPS on the team during his time in Boston thus far.
It seems like entering the postseason, Jones and Duran will be the platooned players in the outfield. As for who starts at DH when Anthony’s in the outfield, Tracy will have to decide among those two, along with probably Mickey Gasper. It’d be hard to say Duran is more deserving of that spot than either of those two this season.
Boston Red Sox Have Tough Jarren Duran Decision Looming in Playoffs