Back in 2020, Jared Porter was riding high. After decades of climbing through the ranks in MLB, he was named the general manager of the New York Mets. And he was excited with his first big move there—trading for superstar Francisco Lindor. It was an aggressive move, and it signaled a new era in Queens. It’s safe to say Porter was excited about it. But just 38 days after taking over the team, everything came crashing down.

In January 2021, ESPN broke the news that Porter had sent inappropriate messages to a foreign female reporter. A series of text messages and even an explicit photo were shared. What happened next? The Mets had no choice but to fire Porter after the article was published. Just like that, what was supposed to be the next step in his career turned into a public disgrace. And now, after years, Porter shared what he went through during that time.

In an interview with USA TODAY Sports, Porter shared, “It was pretty crazy. Here I am, trading for Francisco Lindor, and two weeks later I’m in a mental health facility where they wouldn’t let me have shoelaces for 48 hours because I was a suicide risk.” Porter was so taken aback by this shame that he didn’t even dare leave his home for two full days. But help did come.

Given the severity of the issue, the Arizona Diamondbacks, one of Porter’s previous employers, connected him to mental health resources. This led him to The Meadows, an inpatient behavioral health facility. Porter completed a three-month outpatient program and now attends therapy regularly. He didn’t let his mental struggles ruin his life or career. He powered through, and now he is on a mission to help others who struggle with the same issues.

Porter co-founded Blend, which is a mental wellness company. They offer support for athletes, MLB, and NFL players struggling with emotions, addictions, or trauma. Now in his mid-forties, Porter is connected to MLB but in a completely different way. He is trying to help others avoid the path he took—not trades! He revealed that there is one person he is especially proud of: Jarren Duran.

The MLB star who came clean about overcoming his darkest moment

It’s not every day that MLB players come out with what goes on behind the scenes—the real thing beyond the stats and the cheers. That’s the harsh narrative that players go through. They are expected to perform, tough it out, and brush the problems away. But they are human. The pressure of performance, the online chatter, the boos from the crowd if they don’t perform—it gets into many people’s heads. It got to Duran, who bravely shared his story in a Netflix documentary.

In 2024, Duran was lights out with 21 home runs, 34 stolen bases, and snagging the MVP honors at his first All-Star game. But getting there was not easy; in fact, he came close to not even making it past 2022. Back in that year, when Duran was all but a rookie, he was struggling. Things got so bad that he even attempted to take his own life. “I got to the point where I was sitting in my room, I had my rifle, and I had a bullet, and I pulled the trigger, and the gun clicked, but nothing happened,” shared Durran in the Netflix documentary. But then he took it as God’s sign to move on and not stop, and he hasn’t.

Now he has the words “still alive” on his wristbands before he goes to the games. It’s a simple reminder of how he overcame everything. Red Sox fans, the manager, and everyone have been extremely open about how they feel about Duran coming clean about his struggles. And the sentiment is that—it takes guts to do that. CEO of the Red Sox, Sam Kennedy, said, “Jarren’s decision to share his story is an act of courage that reaches far beyond baseball. By opening up, he’s showing others who may be struggling that they’re not alone and that asking for help isn’t just okay, it’s essential.” And it couldn’t be truer.

In MLB, a sport where silence often feels safer than honesty, Duran’s voice and Porter’s voice remind everyone that it takes courage to admit and brave through.