Long Beach State Professional Athletes

Two Dirtbags, Two Playoff Races, One Big Week

Long Beach State's MLB footprint is never hard to find in September, and the week of Aug. 30–Sept. 5 was a reminder of exactly that. Jarren Duran (Red Sox) and Jeff McNeil (Athletics) — two former Dirtbags now chasing October — both made noise in high-leverage moments, on opposite coasts.

Duran: Clutch Hits and a Personal Announcement in Boston

The Red Sox entered their four-game series against the Baltimore Orioles firmly on the playoff bubble, and Duran has been right in the middle of the chaos. Boston took the first two games of the series, extending a stretch that has the Red Sox scrapping for their postseason lives in the AL. Duran went 1-for-the-day on Friday (Sept. 4) with a hit, and added a run scored in Saturday's action to keep his name in the lineup conversation.

His week actually opened with a bang. On Monday, Aug. 31, Duran went deep against the Seattle Mariners — a two-run homer that contributed to a wild 9-8 extra-innings Red Sox win. It was exactly the kind of contribution Boston needs from their left fielder down the stretch. He's hitting .203 on the season, a number that has raised questions about his role, particularly against right-handed pitching — but his power in clutch spots remains undeniable.

The Red Sox also made a personal announcement about Duran during the Orioles series, adding a human-interest layer to an already dramatic stretch run for the club.

The conversation around Duran isn't purely celebratory, though. With Mickey Gasper's emergence — seven home runs in 13 games — Boston faces a genuine roster puzzle heading into the playoffs about who gets the bulk of starts against righties. It's a good problem to have for the organization, but a pointed one for Duran's October role.

McNeil: Locked In for Oakland

While Duran navigates roster uncertainty, Jeff McNeil is simply raking. The second baseman has been one of the Athletics' more reliable bats during a stretch run that has Oakland in its own playoff picture.

On Saturday, Sept. 5, McNeil was part of an extraordinary third inning in a 7-6 win over Seattle — he joined Max Muncy, Alika Williams, and Zack Gelof in hitting home runs in the same frame. McNeil finished the game 2-for-the-day with a homer, two RBIs, and a run scored, pushing his average to .271.

It wasn't a one-game fluke. McNeil went 2-for-4 with an RBI and two runs scored on Friday, went deep again on Wednesday (Sept. 3) against the Rangers, and has posted multi-hit games in four of his last six outings. He's been a steady presence in the Athletics lineup at exactly the moment Oakland needs consistency.

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Between Duran's late-summer clutch hitting and the off-field news swirling around him in Boston, and McNeil quietly becoming one of the more reliable bats in Oakland's lineup, Long Beach State alumni are doing what they tend to do in September — show up when it matters. The playoff picture for both franchises will sharpen considerably over the next two weeks, and both Dirtbags figure to be central to it.

Long Beach State in MLB | Aug. 23–29, 2026

Jarren Duran's bat was quiet for most of the 2026 season. Then came the 11th inning in Miami.

With the Red Sox trailing the Marlins and the bases loaded, the Long Beach State product launched a go-ahead grand slam to cap a 7-3 Boston victory on August 25 — the team's fifth consecutive win and ninth in their last 12 games. Afterward, Duran didn't mince words about the weight of the moment. "I felt like a 100 pound weight was lifted off my shoulders," he said.

It was the kind of swing that can reshape a narrative. The problem for Duran is that one swing may not be enough.

The Moment vs. The Season

The grand slam was undeniably clutch. But zoom out and the picture gets uncomfortable: Duran entered the week hitting .207 and finished it at .210 — numbers that rank among the worst in baseball this season. The Red Sox are surging down the stretch, and the roster math is getting ruthless. Reports circulating during the week raised pointed questions about whether Roman Anthony's presence would push Duran out of the lineup entirely, and whether Mickey Gasper — who also contributed to the Marlins win — deserves a permanent place over Duran. Boston can't realistically carry both, and Duran's season-long slump has given the front office every reason to ask hard questions.

For now, the grand slam buys him something. How much, only the next few weeks will tell.

McNeil Quietly Steady in Oakland

While Duran's week had all the drama, fellow Dirtbag alum Jeff McNeil was doing the unglamorous work across the country. The Athletics second baseman went 5-for-his-week's-appearances, including a three-hit, two-RBI performance against the Twins on August 25 and another multi-hit effort to close out the period. McNeil sits at .265 on the season — a respectable figure that reflects the kind of consistent, professional at-bat production that defines his game, even if it rarely generates headlines.

McNeil's season in Oakland has been quietly solid, a contrast to Duran's boom-or-bust campaign in Boston. Neither player is in the spotlight the way Long Beach State's biggest MLB names have been in past years, but both are holding roster spots on competitive rosters with real postseason implications.

The Bigger Picture

Two Dirtbags. Two very different stories. Duran is clinging to his spot on a Red Sox team that's surging and has options; McNeil is a steady hand on an Athletics club still building its identity. Neither trajectory is settled — but the week ending August 29 gave Long Beach State fans at least one unforgettable moment to hold onto, even if its author is still fighting to write the rest of his chapter.

A Record and a Milestone in the Same Clubhouse

Two Long Beach State alumni are sharing a dugout in Oakland — and both made headlines for all the right reasons during the week of Aug. 9–15.

Wilson Rewrites the Record Book

Jacob Wilson didn't just have a good week. The Athletics shortstop broke the all-time MLB record for consecutive errorless games at his position, cementing his place in baseball history during Oakland's 4-3 win over the Red Sox. The record had stood as one of the sport's quieter benchmarks of defensive excellence — Wilson's run at it, and through it, signals he's no longer just a prospect. He's a cornerstone.

McNeil Heats Up at the Plate

While Wilson was making history with his glove, second baseman Jeff McNeil was doing damage with his bat. The Long Beach State product capped the week in style on Saturday, going 3-for-5 with a home run, an RBI, and a run scored in the Athletics' 5-3 win over the Texas Rangers. It was part of a week that saw McNeil lift his average from .251 to .261, chipping away at the ball consistently across multiple games.

Earlier in the week, McNeil had also reached a personal hitting milestone in that same 4-3 win over Boston where Wilson broke the shortstop record — making it a banner night for Dirtbag alumni in Oakland. McNeil also went 4-for-5 with a homer in the lopsided 8-3 victory over Texas, according to Sportsnet, a performance that underscored his renewed offensive value since joining the Athletics.

At .261 on the season, McNeil is quietly becoming one of the more reliable bats in an Oakland lineup that has surprised observers in 2026.

Duran Struggles but Stays Active

Not every Long Beach State alum had a standout week. Jarren Duran, the Red Sox left fielder, played in six games between Aug. 9 and Aug. 15 but batted just .201/.202 through the stretch, posting mostly one-hit efforts with limited run production. He did contribute a walk-off week of sorts in terms of activity — reaching base via walk in multiple games — but a pickoff by Blue Jays catcher Alejandro Kirk at second base during the Toronto series illustrated the risks that come with his aggressive baserunning style.

Duran's season average sits at .202, a tough number for a player with his upside. The week was a grind, not a breakthrough.

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The bigger picture out of Long Beach: McNeil and Wilson are the ones worth watching right now. Two alumni, one clubhouse, and a week that included a record-breaking defensive performance and one of the more productive offensive lines in Oakland. For a program better known for producing major leaguers than pennant contenders, that's a meaningful window.