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5 questions that could be answered in Red Sox spring training

By Daniel Fox

FORT MYERS, FLORIDA - MARCH 10: J.D. Martinez #28 and Enrique Hernandez #5 of the Boston Red Sox warm up prior to the spring training game against the Atlanta Braves at JetBlue Park at Fenway South on March 10, 2021 in Fort Myers, Florida. (Photo by Mark Brown/Getty Images)
FORT MYERS, FLORIDA - MARCH 10: J.D. Martinez #28 and Enrique Hernandez #5 of the Boston Red Sox warm up prior to the spring training game against the Atlanta Braves at JetBlue Park at Fenway South on March 10, 2021 in Fort Myers, Florida. (Photo by Mark Brown/Getty Images) /
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Red Sox OF Jarren Duran
ST PETERSBURG, FLORIDA – SEPTEMBER 02: Jarren Duran #40 of the Boston Red Sox looks on during the fourth inning against the Tampa Bay Rays at Tropicana Field on September 02, 2021 in St Petersburg, Florida. (Photo by Douglas P. DeFelice/Getty Images) /

Can Red Sox prospect Jarren Duran make the necessary adjustments?

When Jarren Duran was called up to the major leagues on July 16, he was expected to provide speed and defense to a team that severely lacked both. While it would be nice if his bat could provide even a semblance of the production he had at Triple-A, there was not a lot of pressure on Duran to be an offensive threat with so many other talented hitters in the lineup. In other words, it would take quite the anemic offensive performance for Duran to find himself back in Triple-A.

By the end of August, Duran was jettisoned off the Red Sox roster. Over his first 27 games, he slashed just .221/.236/.372, a stark drop-off from his .258/.357/.516 line at Triple-A. Duran’s plate discipline was particularly atrocious, as he walked just two times against 33 strikeouts. Duran was recalled during the Red Sox Covid outbreak, but the results were even worse (.191/.261/.191).

With Duran’s speed and defense combination, he has a major league floor of at least a fourth outfielder. Yet anybody who saw Duran at Worcester knows there is so much more in the tank. The first step to proving he is not the player he showed in his cup of coffee last year would be an improved approach in spring training.

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