Red Sox’s Alex Cora Impressed By Jarren Duran’s Blazing Speed, Instincts

Throughout Boston Red Sox outfielder Jarren Duran’s evolution as a player, he’s always had one thing — speed.

The 25-year-old prospect put his track speed on display Sunday afternoon in the Red Sox win over the Oakland Athletics at Oakland Coliseum, scoring a run from second base on a shallow single to left field.

After the game manager Alex Cora explained why Duran is such an intriguing prospect.

“We were talking about it, he wasn’t even at third when the guy had the baseball and it was a good throw. Just a different gear,” Cora said as seen on NESN’s postgame coverage. “We talk about tools, right? You want to hit for power and whatever. Speed is something you cannot teach. And the instincts, too. It was a great read. He’s so fast and he puts pressure on the opposition. I know it didn’t end up the way he wanted it to offensively (1-for-4), but he got us going right away.”

Duran’s latest opportunity with Boston came because Jackie Bradley Jr. was placed on paternity leave. It’s unclear how long his current stint will last, but he continues to make his case for another one down the road.

The Red Sox continue their West Coast road trip Monday against the Angels in Los Angeles. First pitch is scheduled for 9:38 p.m. ET following an hour of pregame coverage, and you can watch it all on NESN.