Red Sox Callup #2: Jarren Duran
Despite absolutely raking at the Triple-A level, there are two main reasons why Jarren Duran has only played one big-league game this season. The first is his atrocious performance during his 2021 callup in which he slashed .215/.241/.336 and struck out 40 times against just four walks. The second is the current construction of the Red Sox outfield.
Each player is an established big leaguer with a history of coming up big both in the regular and postseason with the Red Sox, making it difficult for Duran to breakthrough.
At a certain point, however, there just isn’t anything more Duran can prove in Triple-A. After exploding for 18 home runs and 18 stolen bases last year, Duran is slashing .313/.389/.536 with 4 home runs in Worcester so far in 2022. He’s also stolen 10 bases, leading the WooSox and as many as the entire Red Sox game team combined.
While each of the outfielders has a strong track record, they have not been up to snuff this season. Alex Verdugo, Kiké Hernández, and Jackie Bradley Jr. each have OPS+ below 80, and if you throw utility man Christian Arroyo (.194/.227/.306) into the mix, the numbers are even worse.
With Duran’s ability to play each of the three outfield positions at least an average level, he can spell all three players while providing pop and unmatched speed.
There is no question that Duran is a major league player, and at 25 years old, there is not much to be gained from him sticking in the minor leagues. Yet while Duran is likely to make an impact at the big league level from sometime this summer, his callup credentials still trail the next guy on our list.