Jarren Duran Has Really Turned a Corner
It was just over one year ago that the Boston Red Sox lost a home contest to the Toronto Blue Jays by the lopsided score of 28-5. That game featured the lowlight of outfielder Jarren Duran completely losing a Raimel Tapia fly ball that turned into an easy inside-the-park grand slam.
That wasn’t the only glaring negative to come out of Duran’s season. He blew up on fans in Kansas City. Some of his comments in interviews were less than ideal. The defense was rough and he also wasn’t hitting at all; the .221/.283/.363 slash line jumped off the page in a bad way.
Given the many shortcomings of last season, it’s understandable why many gave up on Jarren Duran. Once compared to the likes of Grady Sizemore and Jacoby Ellsbury, he appeared completely unplayable. At 26 years old, it seemed the best course of action was to trade Duran while he still had even the tiniest bit of value.
One year ago, everyone was wondering out loud if Jarren Duran could be a viable MLB player. The defensive miscues, lack of hitting, and immaturity made for an alarming combination. Fast forward to now, and Duran has been a real difference-maker for the Red Sox.
Jarren Duran Has Been Legitimately Good
In the month of July, Duran slashed .384/.430/.658 with 10 doubles, eight stolen bases, and a pair of home runs. It’s felt like every other game where he does something downright electric. He’s been getting on base a lot, which allows him to show off his game-breaking speed.
Duran is hitting .302 on the year and ranks fourth in MLB in doubles despite having 100 fewer at-bats than every other player in the top five. He’s been that good. The Long Beach State product’s emergence offered flexibility for Boston’s front office going into the trade deadline. They could dangle Adam Duvall as a trade piece (they didn’t end up moving him) and had the freedom to offload Kike Hernandez.
A lot can change in a year. Jarren Duran went from a complete disaster to a player who looks like he can be part of Boston’s future.
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