The Boston Red Sox lost a key member of their lineup this season to the Chicago Cubs. Alex Bregman signed with the Cubs in the offseason, not just leaving a void in the lineup but also in the clubhouse.
Red Sox star Jarren Duran has been open about his mental health struggles and the effect they have had on him on the field. Last year, his locker was next to Bregman, and he observed his approach. Now, Duran is talking about how Bregman is still helping him, despite leaving for the Cubs, per Jen McCaffrey of The Athletic.
“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 told The Athletic. “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.
“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.”
Duran focused on that during the offseason and also noticed he had seen Bregman go through struggles before, but it did not affect him on the field.
“That’s just something I observed from him in the clubhouse last year,” Duran said of Bregman. “If he was 0-for-5 and we won or we lost, by the time we got upstairs to eat, he was fine, laughing and joking and talking about his horses and stuff. I was like, ‘Damn, why am I holding onto this, if this amazing guy, World Series winner, doesn’t care?'
The new approach has not yet had success, as Duran is hitting just .154, but he has a .389 OBP with an RBI and two runs scored. Still, the new mental game could lead to him coming out of the slump sooner. The Red Sox and Duran return to the field on Tuesday night against the Houston Astros.
