Jarren Duran is Reaching His Full Potential So Far in 2023

Jarren Duran is off to a hot start to 2023 after a great series in Baltimore for the young speedster. Duran was one of the Red Sox’s top prospects a couple years back, but struggled to reach the hype set for him. There have been multiple instances of mental mistakes from the outfielder along with overall subpar performance. But after being called up after Adam Duvall went on the IL with a distal radius fracture, Duran is here to prove he is major league ready.

While the Red Sox did lose the three game series against Baltimore, Jarren Duran was one of the few bright spots in the lineup. In the second game, Duran smacked a grand slam to center field to give the Red Sox a 7-0 lead over the Orioles. He didn’t stop there, either. In this series, Duran hit .417/.417/.750 while collecting nine total bases and four RBIs.

Duran Slam. pic.twitter.com/n0NDBcofI4

— Red Sox (@RedSox) April 25, 2023

Jarren Duran’s production has extended more than just in Baltimore. As a whole in 2023, Duran is batting .400/.425/.629 with 10 runs batted in and five doubles already. Not only this, but we are seeing Duran hit the ball harder than ever. In his 35 at-bats, he has an average exit velocity of 96 mph and a barrel percentage of 20%. This already way up from his previous average of 6.05% in his last two seasons. This kind of production at the plate would be amazing if sustainable, but these numbers are due to come down eventually. But if Duran is able to maintain his plate approach of getting on base and using his blazing speed to his advantage, he is going to be dangerous for opposing teams.

Jarren Duran is Looking More Comfortable Than Ever

The struggles of adapting to big league life can be a difficult transition, and it seemed to be that way for Jarren Duran. These struggles not only affected the young rookie on the field, but also affected him emotionally. In an interview last season with Masslive’s Chris Cotillo, Duran went on to say: “I find it hard to reach out to people because I don’t want to bother other people with my problems. I kind of just build it up inside myself, which obviously makes everything a lot worse.”

The additions this offseason of some new big league veteran’s have seemed to change Duran’s outlook and make him more comfortable in the clubhouse. After Tuesday’s 8-6 win, Jarren spoke highly of the clubhouse presence this year. He went on by saying he’s “a lot more open to talking to guys [in the clubhouse] and not feeling like I’m bothering them, so just having those guys backing me up feels really good.” This comfort from the new veterans like Justin Turner and Adam Duvall has definitely translated to Jarren Duran’s comfort level on the field.

Kenley Jansen is Lights Out in 2023 So Far

Jarren Duran is shaping up to be the player he was projected be as a prospect. Duran has had hot streak’s before, but nothing as good as what we’re seeing here. If he is able to maintain it, he’ll be one of the hottest hitters in the league. As for now, the best thing Jarren can do is just to continue staying comfortable. If he can continue to stay comfortable, the results should continue to be productive.

Follow @Matt__Irish on Twitter for more Baseball News.

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