Red Sox

‘Special to see’: A closer look at Jarren Duran’s remarkable turnaround

"His whole entire game has changed."

By Trevor Hass

July 8, 2023

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Last July, in a shockingly gruesome 28-5 loss to the Blue Jays, Jarren Duran provided the game’s defining moment when he “lost it in the twilight” and Raimel Tapia motored around the bases for an inside-the-park grand slam.

Duran sputtered to the finish line in 2022, hitting .184 in July and .180 in August before spending the bulk of September with the Worcester Red Sox. That’s where he started 2023, but the Red Sox gave him another shot and he hasn’t squandered it.

This July, a year removed from perhaps the lowest low, Duran is currently one of baseball’s hottest hitters, most electric base-runners, and most athletic and rangy center-fielders. Fresh off a 3-for-5 day, with a home run and a stolen base, in a 10-3 win over the Athletics, Duran is hitting .588 in July, .424 in his last 22 games, and .319 on the season.

The red-hot Red Sox are 7-1 in their last eight games, and that’s far from a coincidence.

“He’s playing with confidence right now. You can tell,” Red Sox manager Alex Cora said. ” … We’re very happy for him. I know it was a roller coaster for him for a while there.”

Duran has a knack for muddying a game and putting his fingerprints all over it. In the top of the first, he slapped a single to left, stole second with ease, hustled to third on a grounder, and scored on a single.

In the next inning, he launched a two-run homer over the Green Monster. Late in the game, he glided toward the warning track and nonchalantly corralled a deep fly ball. The steadiness, poise, and reliability – plus the always-there electricity factor – are present in all aspects.

Cora said that last year, Duran would go to Triple-A and fall back into bad habits, with a toe tap or his hands way down. Now, he has a consistent approach, with his hands up, a “good trigger,” and a patient yet aggressive approach.

“I give credit to the front office,” Cora said. “Let’s stick with the kid. We find ways to play him. He’s here, and he’s been very dynamic, not only swinging the bat, but running the bases. That’s something we haven’t had in a while here.”

In the past two years, the ebbs and flows of his production proved to be costly. He hit .215 over 33 games in 2021 and .221 over 58 games in 2022. This year, when he hit a rough patch and batted .236 in May, he was able to respond and up his average to .286 in June.

In July, he’s been unstoppable. Cora called him “one of the best players in the league” in the past 10 days.

“I just think it’s baseball. It’s part of the game,” Duran said. “Everybody’s going to go through their bumps. It’s like a roller coaster. You go up, you go down, but you’ve just got to try and stay level.”

Duran said he’s simply trying to “be an annoyance” to the other team, keep pressure on, and set the hitters behind him up for success. He acknowledged it’s nice to see his work pay off, but he made it clear he can’t be satisfied.

Teammate Christian Arroyo said it’s “a confidence thing” for Duran, as it is for many hitters. Sometimes, Arroyo said, players come up and second-guess themselves when things go awry.

“He’s one of those guys that should never have to second-guess himself,” Arroyo said. “He’s super talented. It’s just awesome to see what he’s been doing. The way he’s matured from the mental side of the game, handling failure and handling success, even, that’s a big thing, too. He’s been Steady Eddie for us since he’s been up.”

Arroyo highlighted Duran’s dynamic nature at the plate, on the base paths, and in the field.

“His whole entire game has changed, and it’s truly special to see,” Arroyo said. “He’s a great dude. I’m super happy for him and looking forward to continuing that and getting to watch it every day.”