{"id":115514,"date":"2026-03-11T17:56:18","date_gmt":"2026-03-11T21:56:18","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/baseball\/?p=115514"},"modified":"2026-03-11T17:56:18","modified_gmt":"2026-03-11T21:56:18","slug":"could-this-former-mvp-candidate-bounce-back-in-2026","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/baseball\/2026\/03\/11\/could-this-former-mvp-candidate-bounce-back-in-2026\/","title":{"rendered":"Could This Former MVP Candidate Bounce Back in 2026?"},"content":{"rendered":"

On Monday, the United States played Mexico in the group stage of the World Baseball Classic. And there were plenty of highlights. Red Sox rising star <\/span>Roman Anthony<\/span><\/a> blasted a 417 foot homer, just a couple innings after <\/span>Aaron Judge<\/span><\/a> launched one of his own. <\/span>Paul Skenes<\/span><\/a> had a dominant four inning outing, and <\/span>Garrett Whitlock<\/span><\/a> finished things in the ninth. However, despite the loss for Mexico, there seemed to be a bright spot for them that provides insight into the Red Sox season.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Jarren Duran: Possible Bounceback Candidate?\u00a0<\/b><\/h2>\n

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Jarren Duran<\/span><\/a> had a multi-homer game against the US, both of which came off of Chicago Cubs pitcher <\/span>Matthew Boyd<\/span><\/a>. After Monday\u2019s performance, he currently has three homers in the World Baseball Classic. He also has a slugging percentage of 1.500. It\u2019s a small sample size, sure, seeing as it\u2019s three games and ten at bats. Let\u2019s take it back to Spring Training though. He played five games, also hitting three home runs, and achieving an average of .583 with the same slugging as the WBC and an OPS of 2.167.<\/span><\/p>\n

In the case of Spring Training, it is not the best competition. Teams are mostly trying to see what they have in the minors and figuring out last roster spots. However, if those numbers are being repeated in the WBC, some questions do need to be asked about if last year was a fluke. Now, the term bounce back is being used loosely. Duran’s 2025 was not bad by any standards. But when looking at his 2024 campaign, which ended in a top 10 MVP finish, it lacks in comparison.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Duran\u2019s 2024 Season: MVP-Type Season<\/b><\/h3>\n

Duran has a stellar 2024 season, finishing eighth overall in American League MVP voting. This was his true breakout year, with his at bats increasing from 332 in 2023 to 671. His speed really showed off as well, with 48 doubles, 14 triples, and 34 stolen bases. His numbers in doubles and triples led all of baseball that year. He finished with an 8.7 WAR,\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

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Jarren Duran’s 2025 hasn’t been quite as great as his 2024 season, but he’s still on pace for 91 runs, 43 doubles, 18 triples, 16 HR, 99 RBI, and 26 SB.<\/p>\n

Last 24 Games: 100 PA, .318\/.420\/.706, 18 XBH, 6 HR, 3 SB#DirtyWater<\/a>pic.twitter.com\/UgYweyyzHr<\/a><\/p>\n

\u2014 Eric Cross (@EricCrossMLB) July 31, 2025<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n