Jarren Duran Sinks, Garrett Crochet Surges On MLB Top 50 List

The Boston Red Sox were well represented on ESPN’s April edition of the top 100 MLB players list.

The now-departed Rafael Devers was ranked 25th, outfielder Jarren Duran was 36th, starting pitcher Garrett Crochet was No. 37, third baseman Alex Bregman was 47th and first baseman Triston Casas came in at No. 97.

For various reasons, the Red Sox now only have two representatives on ESPN’s in-season list, which has been cut down to the top 50.

Crochet has skyrocketed up to 10th on the ranking, while Bregman’s placing hasn’t changed much, as he now sits at No. 49. Boston’s ace is the fourth-ranked pitcher (fifth if you count Shohei Ohtani) on the list.

Ohtani is No. 2 on the list, reigning AL Cy Young award winner Tarik Skubal is No. 3, Pittsburgh Pirates All-Star Paul Skenes is sixth and Philadelphia Phillies right-hander Zack Wheeler is ninth.

“If Skubal doesn’t win the AL Cy Young Award this year, Crochet will. He has been what the Red Sox had hoped for when they moved aggressively to trade for him last winter,” insider Buster Olney wrote. “Crochet, three years removed after Tommy John surgery, is just 26 years old and locked into the long-term deal (six years, $170 million) he signed with the Red Sox this past spring. Boston has its No. 1 starter for the foreseeable future.”

Devers is no longer a member of the Red Sox and is no longer a top 50 player, in the eyes of the MLB experts. Duran, meanwhile, is out of the top 50 amid a decent 2025 campaign, albeit a drop off from last season.

Bregman was the Red Sox’s other massive offseason acquisition along with Crochet, and for the most part, has come as advertised.

“In his first foray into free agency, Bregman bet heavily on himself by taking what is effectively a one-year deal with the Red Sox because he can opt out after this season. And that bet figures to pay off this winter, with Bregman generating his highest slugging percentage (.541) since 2019 and his highest batting average ever; he could hit .300 for the first time in his career,” Olney wrote. “He’s 31 years old and there are no signs that his peak years are waning, so it figures that Bregman will see significant offers again this winter. The Red Sox have loved having him and you’d assume there will be conversations about a long-term deal, but he continues to be a really nice potential fit on paper for the Tigers, as well.”

Casas, through no fault of his own, is not ranked, as he suffered a likely season-ending knee injury in May.