Red Sox outfielder reveals 2022 suicide attempt in Netflix documentary

Jarren Duran had a breakout season in 2024. Given a regular spot in the Boston Red Sox lineup for a full season, the center fielder led baseball in doubles (48) and triples (14) — a rare feat — as well as 21 home runs and 34 stolen bases. His 129 OPS+ and stellar defense in center field yielded some downballot MVP votes. Not bad for a player who entered the season with a career .729 OPS in 193 games.

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Duran's relatively slow start after his 2021 debut drew audible criticism from the team's fervent fan base. Speaking in a new Netflix documentary, "The Clubhouse: A Year with the Red Sox", Duran opened up about the dramatic toll this negative feedback loop had on him.

The documentary is available Tuesday on Netflix; The Big Lead viewed a preview of the eight-part series after agreeing to embargo any details until Monday.

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"I feel (fans) cross the line when they started talking about my mental health, making fun of me for that," he said in Episode 4 ("Still Alive"). "Calling me weak. It just kind of triggered me when you start talking about mental health. ... I feel that's just, like, part of it. That loneliness ... some people just deal with it better than others."

Duran, a native of Corona, California, revealed that he reached his breaking point in 2022.

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"I couldn't deal with telling myself how much I sucked every ... day," he said. "I was already hearing it from fans. What they say to me, it's like I haven't told myself 10 times worse than that in the mirror. That was a really tough time for me."

Duran said he was sitting in a room with a rifle and a bullet, "and I pulled the trigger and the gun clicked but nothing happened. So to this day I think God just didn't let me take my own life, because I seriously don't know why it didn't go off."

The dramatic revelation underscores the way Duran has turned around his hitting, fielding, and mental health in the last three years.

“Jarren’s decision to share his story is an act of courage that reaches far beyond baseball,” Red Sox president Sam Kennedy in a statement provided by the team to the Boston Globe. “By opening up, he’s showing others who may be struggling that they’re not alone and that asking for help isn’t just OK, it’s essential. Every member of this organization continues to stand with him. He has our deepest admiration, he’s always had our full support, and we’re incredibly fortunate to have him as part of our team.”

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