For years, the Red Sox have been waiting for Jarren Duran to establish himself at the big league level, as he carried a skillset that would make any prospect evaluator blush. Comparisons to Jacoby Ellsbury and Grady Sizemore ran wild, but were quickly forgotten about as he took his bumps and bruises in 2021 and 2022. Now, with new mechanics at the plate and a refreshing sense of maturity, it seems like his breakout could be happening at the perfect time for the 2023 Red Sox.
When Adam Duvall went down with a distal left wrist fracture on April 10th against the Tigers, it felt like an injury that could sidetrack the entire season. There was no simple replacement for a bat that had been carrying the Red Sox through 3 series and stabilized the organization’s depth up the middle. Rob Refsnyder is a lethal lefty masher and Raimel Tapia a fine 4th outfielder, but neither offered the upside or spark needed to fill Duvall’s shoes.
Most fans had already written off Duran due to the infamous Tapia inside-the-park grand slam and beefing with Royals fans last August, but it was clear the Red Sox still had hope for the former Top 40 prospect. Despite leaving for the WBC in spring training, Duran was one of the early stars of camp as he constantly smashed the ball the other way with authority. He had raised his hands at the plate and cut down his leg kick significantly, hoping to get away from the approach that got him sent back to AAA last year.
It was clear the front office was impressed, especially after Chaim Bloom went on the Obstructed View: Red Sox podcast and discussed his excitement over Duran’s offseason adjustments on and off the field. It was clear the organization hadn’t given up on the center fielder, despite him being 26 and the fanbase shredding him at every possible opportunity. Plenty of that criticism was earned as well, but seeing Duran not fold spoke to the make-up scouts once praised constantly.
