Background:
Boston's seventh-round pick from 2018, Duran wasn't overly hyped before making his minor league debut. However, in his first 67 games of pro ball, the lefty swinging speedster hit .357/.394/.516 and immediately caught the eye of Red Sox prospect analysts. He followed that up with a .303 average and 46 stolen bases in just 132 games in 2019. Though he advanced to Double-A in the second half of the year, his hitting worsened against better competition and there wasn't much power to be shown.
2020:
Entering spring training of 2020, Duran was working with notable swing guru Doug Lata to become a better all-around hitter. (Lata is an independent swing coach who has helped turn around the careers of Justin Turner and others by preaching a more fly ball-centric approach). For his entire life Duran's swing had been designed to take advantage of his speed by creating a flat bat path to produce grounders and line drives.
However, by lowering his hands in his stance, Duran is now able to turn on inside pitches with authority while still giving himself a clear swing path with two strikes. While there will likely be an increase in his strikeout rate once we start keeping season-long stats again, it'll hopefully be coupled with an increased number of hard-hit balls.
https://twitter.com/redsoxstats/status/1301019774332395521?s=20
^Click to see how his swing has changed from 2019 to 2020.
Duran reportedly showed off his newfound power at the alternate training site last summer. He then got some additional experience by playing Winter Ball in Puerto Rico this offseason. Red Sox Chief Baseball Officer Chaim Bloom notes that throughout 2020, Duran made strides hitting wise without losing any of his game-changing speed.
Contract Situation:
Duran has yet to make his MLB debut and will be under club control for six or seven years depending on when he arrives to Boston.
2021 And Beyond:
While Duran's skill changes are notable, he still hasn't proven himself in the upper minors. So while Alex Cora has already said that Duran will see a lot of action with the big league team this spring, it's a near certainty that he begins 2021 in Triple-A.
A second baseman in his amateur playing days, Duran was drafted by the Sox as an outfielder. His plus-plus speed gives him the profile of a future big league center fielder, though he's still working on his route efficiency on fly balls. Having turned 24 years old last year, Duran seems ready maturity wise for his first taste of the big leagues in 2021. I'm anticipating a mid-summer arrival to Fenway Park.
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