You likely noticed that two weeks ago interim manager Chad Tracy had a different name leading off his lineup card than usual: Mickey Gasper. The affable backstop has certainly earned some extra playing time this year, but it's a bit telling when a team's No. 1 hitter owns a 95 wRC+.
Alas, this is the position Jarren Duran has put the Boston Red Sox in. Following a scorching hot end to May — he finished the month with a team-leading nine home runs and a .287 ISO that ranked top-12 in MLB — Duran completely fell apart at the plate in June. Prior to being demoted to the five-hole, he was responsible for a 1 wRC+ this month.
A change clearly had to be made, but a troubling truth has emerged from this saga as well: The Red Sox don't have anyone capable of leading off besides Duran.
"It’s not really dropping him (Duran) out,” Tracy said. “It’s just trying — first of all — something different. Secondly, it’s trying to maximize Jarren and Willson, if we can have them protect each other. And Mickey, a lot of times, has lengthier (at-bats). Maybe we get a little… https://t.co/LFsTkI8oLy
— Chris Cotillo (@ChrisCotillo) June 12, 2026
Red Sox don't have a capable leadoff hitter when Jarren Duran is struggling
One of the biggest flaws in Duran's game is that he strikes out way too much, especially for a leadoff hitter; his near-30% strikeout rate is untenable atop the lineup and represents his worst such percentage since 2021.
Naturally, that makes it tough for him to get on base, though his .258 OBP is truly mind-boggling. There's just no way an offense can thrive if there aren't runners on the bases — batting Duran and Ceddanne Rafaela (.344 OBP but a bad habit of chasing pitches outside the zone) ahead of Willson Contreras limited the damage the team's best hitter could do.
Duran has obviously struggled regardless of where he's hit in the lineup this year, but his numbers out of the No. 1 spot are paltry: .212/.267/.408 with an OPS 18% than the league-average leadoff hitter. That's brutal, especially for a guy who had a .742 OPS as a leadoff hitter in 2025 and an .835 OPS in 2024.
Something else Tracy pointed out while making his decision to demote Duran in the batting order is that he simply doesn't see enough pitches while at the plate. At 3.74 pitches per plate appearances, he doesn't make the opposing pitcher work hard enough. For reference, Gasper is at 3.84 pitches per plate appearance, which isn't all that much better.
That last statement is sort of the problem; the Red Sox don't have anyone besides Duran who has the kind of skill set to set up an entire lineup. His combination of power and speed is lethal early in games, but you have to be able to get on base to support guys like Contreras and Wilyer Abreu in the middle of the order.
Perhaps when Roman Anthony returns (whenever that is), Tracy can try him out in the leadoff spot. He's patient powerful enough to at least mimic Duran's better days, though that'd also take one of the Red Sox's best hitters out of a run-producing position. If that fails, the interim skipper can try a few more lineup combinations, but the easiest solution here would just be Duran returning to form.
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