Jarren Duran jersey sales have gone through the roof recently — but not for the reason you may think.
The Red Sox outfielder is enjoying a stellar 2024 season so far. Duran is batting .290 with 14 home runs and is leading the majors with 13 triples. His 143 hits are first out of all Boston players, and he was named to his first All-Star Game, where he earned MVP honors after a go-ahead home run for the American League.
However, the spike in jersey sales has to do with his recent suspension after a hot pic picked up him calling a fan a homophobic slur. Duran returned to the Red Sox lineup on Wednesday after sitting out the games on Monday and Tuesday against the Rangers.
Here is more on the uptick in jersey sales for Duran.
MORE: Winners and losers from 2024 MLB trade deadline
Jarren Duran jersey
On Wednesday, Duran's white Red Sox jersey was the highest-selling item on the MLB website. Following Duran, there were three different Shohei Ohtani Dodgers jerseys among the top-selling apparel.
According to Fanatics, Jarren Duran and Shohei Ohtani have the “top sellers” jerseys in the Majors. pic.twitter.com/qyYJO8LjgC
— Boston Strong (@BostonStrong_34) August 14, 2024
As of Thursday, all of his jerseys are no longer listed on the website. They have presumably been sold out on MLBShop.com and Fanatics.
This isn't the first time an athlete in the spotlight for a controversial reason sees an increase in fans purchasing their jersey. Most recently, Chiefs kicker Harrison Butker saw an uptick in jersey sales following his much-debated speech at Benedictine College's graduation.
What did Jarren Duran say?
In the bottom of the sixth inning of the Red Sox-Astros contest, Duran was facing a 1-2 count. He already struck in his two previous at-bats, and one of the fans was letting him hear it from the stands at Fenway Park.
"Tennis racket! Tennis racket! You need a tennis racket!"
Duran took exception to the heckling, and told the fan to "shut up you f—ing f—."
Following the incident, the Red Sox elected to suspend Duran for two games.
"The Red Sox addressed this incident with Jarren immediately following today’s game," the Boston club said in a statement. "We echo Jarren’s apology to our fans, especially to the LGBTQ community. We strive to be an organization that welcomes all fans to Fenway Park, and we will continue to educate our employees, players, coaches and staff on the importance of inclusivity."
Duran spoke with the media following the news of the suspension, appearing remorseful for his actions.
Jarren Duran addresses the media after using homophobic slur in yesterday's game vs. Rangers. Duran will serve two-game unpaid suspension. pic.twitter.com/JmhfjJwnBZ
— NBC Sports Boston (@NBCSBoston) August 12, 2024
"I’ve had some fans reach out to me and tell me that they are disappointed in me," Duran said. "I just wanted to let them know that I’m sorry for my actions."
