Jarren Duran’s 20-20 Season Is Literally the Worst in Baseball’s Live-Ball Era

[Maddie Landis]

On Wednesday night, Jarren Duran stole second in the bottom of the eighth, marking his 20th stolen base of the season and his second time joining the elite 20 home run, 20 stolen bases club. [He hit his 20th home run on September 7.] 

But... Jarren Duran? Elite club in 2026? Something isn't right here. A 20-20 season is a historic milestone. You’d expect a player who gets there to be a solid hitter. The kind of guy who instills fear in pitchers, not some dude whose kryptonite is an elevated fastball. Through 147 games this season, Duran has mustered a measly .207/.265/.364 slash line with a 27.5% strikeout rate, 6.5% walk rate, a 69 wRC+, and 0.5 fWAR.

Red Sox fans are well aware of Duran’s nosedive since his previous 20/20 season in 2024, but how bad is this one compared to every other 20/20 season in baseball’s live-ball era? Let’s take a look. 

Where Jarren Duran's 20-20 Season Ranks All-Time

Through September 25, 2026, 524 baseball players have achieved 20/20 seasons. The power/speed combo is becoming less rare in the modern game; 2025 saw a record total of 24 players who achieved 20/20 seasons. Duran was the 16th player to join the 20/20 club this year (Carson Benge has since joined him). There’s still a weekend of baseball to be played before the postseason is underway, and Trea Turner (19 HRs, 21 SBs) and Jazz Chisholm Jr. (19 HRs, 41 SBs) are on the verge of breaking into the club. [Back in February, Chisholm Jr. boldly proclaimed that he would be the second member of the elusive 50/50 club. There's always next year.]

 

Since 1920, players in the 20/20 club recorded an average .284/.362/.505 slash line. Turkey Stearns, one of the most prolific hitters in the Negro leagues, posted the highest average (.383) and OPS (1.174) in 1926. Barry Bonds’ 1996 season saw the highest OBP (.461). Larry Walker’s 1997 NL MVP campaign marked the highest slugging percentage (.720). On the extreme end of homers, Ken Griffey Jr. clubbed 56 in 1998.

 

Those guys sit in the upper echelons of the 20/20 club. Now, we pivot to the basement. Last year, Oneil Cruz batted to a tune of .200, so Duran’s .207 mark is safe, but his .265 on-base percentage, .364 slugging percentage, and .629 on-base plus slugging percentage are ranked dead last. Previously, Yankees shortstop Anthony Volpe’s .666 OPS was the lowest in a 20/20 season. Duran undercut Volpe by 37 points of OPS, which is a sizable gap for a record low.

Like I said earlier, the season isn't quite over yet. With Ceddanne Rafaela dealing with lingering hamstring tightness, Duran will likely see more playing time as the Red Sox gear up for the postseason as the team rests Rafaela ahead of the AL Wild Card series. 

At the very least, Duran's 20/20 season is a unique selling point if chief baseball officer Craig Breslow attempts to trade him in the offseason. Also, in Duran's defense, he has been up on the upswing with an .841 OPS in his last seven games. Watching him score from second on Andruw Monasterio's single on Tuesday night was absolutely exhilarating. It was the Red Sox's lone run of the game, and it reminded us of the dynamic player that Duran can be -- when he actually gets on base. 

It's not exactly the kind of history we wanted to celebrate in 2026, but by all accounts, it looks like we’ve just witnessed the worst 20-20 season in the live-ball era.

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