At least two of Jarren Duran’s tools are sharp enough to take him to “The Show.”
MLB.com’s Jim Callis, Mike Rosenbaum and Jonathan Mayo on Thursday identified the Red Sox prospect as the “best athlete” in the big-league team’s farm system. Duran’s foot and bat speed have helped him rise from the college ranks to AA Portland in just one-plus seasons as a professional baseball player.
“Duran went from the seventh round of the 2018 MLB Draft to the SiriusXM All-Star Futures Game in 2019, and he batted .303/.367/.408 with 46 steals while reaching Double-A,” Callis, Rosenbaum and Mayo wrote. “The fastest runner in the system, he also has more pop than the Red Sox expected and has transitioned from second base at Long Beach State to center field as a pro.”
The outfielder hit .387 with four home runs, 19 RBIs and 18 stolen bases in 50 games in High-A Salem. He then hit .250 with one home run, 19 RBIs and 28 steals in 82 games in Portland.
MLB.com’s recognition of Duran is the latest in a string of formal and informal accolades he has received in recent months. The Red Sox named him “Baserunner of the Year” in September, he appeared in the Arizona Fall League All-Star Game, and MLB.com named him one of three outfielders on its three Red Sox farm-stem All-Star team.
Should Duran, 23, forge a career in Major League Baseball, his hitting and baserunning will be among the primary reasons.
