3 times MLB All-Star MVP Jarren Duran opened up about his mental health
Jarren Duran is the All-Star Game MVP. The Boston Red Sox star smacked a two-run home run to break a tie and give the American League team their 10th win in 11 seasons.
He has long been a champion of mental health and has been open about his own battles. Now that he has made it to the peak of baseball, there are plenty of such examples to look back on.
Three times Jarren Duran went in on mental health
3) July 2024
Jarren Duran's biggest message is all about mental health, so much so that he's willing to take a fine for it.
He has some apparel that says, "F*ck 'em" in reference to the metaphorical demons the outfielder had to battle to keep his sanity and keep going in Major League Baseball. He said about the words via Jomboy Media:
“I’ll just take everything off so I don’t get in trouble, but that would be a fine I’d be happy to pay.”
He received a warning from the MLB, but he isn't concerned with any punishment for trying to spread his message of positivity in mental health.
2) May 2024
This is a much simpler message, but it's very powerful from Jarren Duran. On his wrist while wearing batting gloves is some tape, as seen in the tweet from May. It reads:
"Still Alive"
This is a simple message. Everyone who sees it is still alive, but it's poignant in that it represents and references Duran's own struggles to be just that. For some, it's remarkable just to still be alive at any point during their life, and it's something, with mental health in mind, which is worth celebrating.
1) August 2022
Two years ago, Jarren Duran was far from an American League All-Star and the MVP of the game. In fact, he was almost out of it. He had just been optioned back to Triple A after struggling in the field and at the plate.
While in a negative manner, it was another chance for Duran to open up on his mental health battles. Via Boston.com, he said:
“I don’t really talk to my family about my low points because I’m so closed off to everybody. I’m kind of just tearing myself up internally and get pretty depressed and stuff like that.
"I find it hard to reach out to people because I don’t want to bother other people with my problems. I kind of just build it up inside myself, which obviously makes everything a lot worse.”
One of the first steps is to be able to admit there's a struggle, which Duran publicly did.