Jarren Duran will look to impress in the World Baseball Classic for Team Mexico
The Red Sox will be well represented in the World Baseball Classic with 12 players taking part in the tournament. One player that Sox fans should watch closely is Jarren Duran.
The speedy outfielder will suit up for Team Mexico alongside fellow teammate Alex Verdugo.
For Duran, he will take part in the WBC for the first time, looking to honor his Mexican American heritage.
The Calif. native has been an intriguing prospect the last couple of seasons.
Unfortunately, Duran has not seen the hype of him being a top prospect translate to being a productive major leaguer.
Through the first 91 games of his career, he has posted a .219 average and has stuck out 103 times in 311 at-bats.
The Red Sox though remain confident in Duran’s abilities, including his manager Alex Cora. “He’s still dynamic, still young, still learning, " Cora told the Boston media in January.
The 26-year-old will look at this opportunity to play for Team Mexico as an opportunity move forward in his young career.
According to the Twitter account @Mexicanos_MLB, they project Duran to lead off for Mexico in the tournament. Duran will look to cause havoc on the base paths with his blazing speed.
"His speed changes the game," Cora said of Duran this past season. "That’s what we’re looking for. It’s a weapon, and it was fun to watch him run the bases."
A positive showing in the WBC will work wonders for Duran who will likely start with Triple-A Worcester once the season begins. He will earn consistent playing time while showing why he is a valuable option for the Red Sox if a player struggles or finds their way on the injured list.
WIth young players like Ceddanne Rafaela and Miguel Bleis navigating their way through the Red Sox system, the time for Duran to shine is now.
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