The 2025 season was a rollercoaster ride for the Boston Red Sox-a slow start, a blockbuster Rafael Devers trade that stunned the fanbase, and then a second-half surge that carried them into October for the first time in four years. It wasn’t always pretty, and it didn’t end the way they hoped, but it was the kind of season that can shape a team’s identity moving forward.
Now, as spring training kicks off in Fort Myers, the Red Sox are carrying the weight of both experience and expectation. For a young core that got its first real taste of postseason baseball, last year’s wild ride was more than just a comeback story-it was a crash course in what it takes to survive 162 games and still have gas left in the tank when the lights get brighter.
Jarren Duran, the team’s All-Star outfielder and one of the emotional engines of that playoff push, spoke about that learning curve during a sit-down with NESN this week. While the conversation had its lighter moments-Duran joked about turning 30 this year, saying, “I don’t feel 30, I don’t act 30… this sucks”-he also offered some real insight into what the Red Sox took away from their postseason experience.
“I think the biggest thing is now we know what it takes to get there,” Duran said. “I think that’s a big thing for a lot of teams. I feel like getting there is the hardest part, and then once you get there and you get a taste of it, you’re like, alright, now I know how to get there.”
That perspective doesn’t come from a place of comfort-it comes from the sting of falling short. Duran struggled in the playoff series against the Yankees, going just 1-for-11 at the plate with four strikeouts and a costly defensive miscue. It was a tough outing for a player who’d been a spark plug all season, but it also reinforced the reality that postseason baseball is a different beast.
The pace is faster. The pressure is heavier.
And the margin for error? Razor-thin.
But if there’s a silver lining, it’s that Duran and the rest of Boston’s young roster now know what that pressure feels like. They’ve been in the fire. And they’re not backing down from it.
“It really takes 162 when you really break it down,” Duran added, highlighting just how much of a grind the regular season can be. “Teams get hot, they get cold… it’s about staying consistent and finding your rhythm at the right time.”
That’s exactly what the Red Sox managed to do last summer. After a rocky first half that left them outside the playoff picture, they found their footing in July-especially on the mound-and rode that momentum into a postseason berth. It wasn’t a deep run, but it was a step forward.
Now, with the dust settled and the lessons learned, the focus shifts to what’s next.
“It’s gonna be fun,” Duran said. “I’m excited.”
And he’s not alone. For a team that’s tasted October and wants more, the mission is clear: build on last year’s growth, sharpen the edges, and come back hungrier. Because now they know what it takes to get there-and what it’ll take to stay.