Article: Is Jarren Duran The Red Sox's Newest Superstar?

[Dan Fraser]

Jarren Duran hit the ground running in 2024 and hasn't looked back.

Before the 2024 MLB season, Jarren Duran, the Red Sox's speedster centerfielder from California, showed glimpses of his potential but hadn’t quite put it all together. This year, though, everything has clicked. 

Duran recently made history as the first player to record ten triples, 20 home runs, 30 stolen bases, and 40 doubles in a single season, and is now sporting an impressive 8.4 WAR (wins above replacement), placing him third in the majors behind Aaron Judge and Bobby Witt Jr.

Fourth in WAR is Gunnar Henderson, who sits at 7.3 — far behind Duran. 

Boston’s lead-off man has been on fire lately, hitting .372/.449/.860 over his last 11 games. His fly ball exit velocity has surged from 88.1 to 91.7 mph, and his average ground ball exit velocity has increased from 85.3 to 88.3 mph, making his hits harder to handle. His blazing speed also adds extra pressure on fielders, making it all the more likely that an error is made.

Duran ranks second in runs scored from the leadoff spot, just behind Kyle Schwarber, and is only second to Luis Arraez in hits among leadoff hitters. His OPS with runners in scoring position is .836, and it climbs to .932 with two outs, displaying how clutch he’s been for Boston in a pinch.

Adding to his resume, Duran was named an All-Star for the first time earlier this summer and was awarded All-Star Game MVP after shooting a game-winning home run into the stands for the American League (AL) side.

The former top prospect has also been healthy for the entirety of the season, which is a step in the right direction compared to the past few years.

Duran spent 2021 and 2022 in both the majors and minors, batting a poor .219 with a -0.8 WAR when he did come up to the bigs. In 2023, he notched career highs across the board but was limited to 102 contests on account of an injury.

Duran’s missed just a pair of games this year — a result of his suspension for directing a homophobic slur at a heckling fan.

Duran has been great since returning from his two-game ban, batting a solid .327 with 18 hits, five home runs, and 13 runs scored in 14 games. 

Not only is Duran impressive at the plate, but he’s also a standout in the field, tied for the most outfield assists in the majors with 11. All of this comes on a modest $760,000 salary, with free agency not on the horizon until 2028.

Duran is the kind of player that doesn’t come along often. He’s acting as Boston’s new Mookie Betts. Or Jacoby Ellsbury. A lead off man that can rise to the occasion by jumpstarting the offense or by making a stellar defensive play.

Duran is getting hot at the right moment as the Red Sox continue to chase the final AL Wild Card spot into September.

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