The 2022 Major League Baseball season hasn't been an easy one for Red Sox outfielder Jarren Duran.
Duran was not on Boston's Opening Day roster, but he made his way back to the big leagues in early June and was given ample opportunity to prove himself. The 25-year-old effectively was an everyday player for the Red Sox for the next three months that followed, but the positive impact was limited. Duran batted below .190 in both July and August and eventually was sent down to Triple-A Worcester a few days before the calendar flips to September.
A few days after his demotion, Duran opened up about the impact his ongoing struggles have had on his mental state.
"It has been pretty hard," Duran told reporters, per MassLive. "I can't talk about too much of it, but I've been pretty low this year. It has been a struggle to stay here (in the majors).
"I try so hard to please everybody so when I hear people badmouthing me and they're our home fans, I take it to heart. It's like, 'Dang, I need to try harder because I'm just trying to make everybody happy.' It's so hard. It's a (game of failure), a (sport of failure). I just ask for forgiveness whenever I don't do what they ask me to do. I'm trying my best. I just hope they know that."
While it's human nature to take in the noise, Duran needs to focus more on improving his all-around game than making Red Sox fans happy. And if he progresses in certain areas -- particularly getting on base and defense -- warm receptions from the Fenway Faithful should come hand-in-hand.
