WooSox players react to former teammate Jarren Duran making the AL All-Star team
Red Sox outfielder Jarren Duran was named to the American League All-Star game last week. The speedy leadoff man will head to Texas for his first Mid-Summer Classic alongside ace Tanner Houck. Rafael Devers, who was also selected as an All-Star, will skip the game to rest his ailing shoulder.
Following his selection, Duran’s former teammates and manager with the WooSox reacted and shared their thoughts on how he blossomed into the player he’s become today.
“I got to be blessed to be able to spend all of 2022 and then part of 2023 with him and watch how he evolved. He had to get the emotions under control and all the different things he’s gone through,” WooSox skipper Chad Tracy said during the team’s last homestand. “I remember having conversations with him and specifically saying you’re an all-star-caliber player if you put this all together. And to see him realize that potential and the way he’s gone about it this year, it’s been a joy to watch him. All our staff is talking about it, and we’re very, very proud of him. And I know Alex [Cora] and the staff up there is as well.”
WooSox slugger Bobby Dalbec has played with Duran in the minors and with the Red Sox at different points in their careers. Dalbec, who understands the pressures of playing in Boston, offered some high praise for his fellow teammate and friend.
“He’s one of my best friends, and we’ve talked about it all the time while living together in Double-A,” said Dalbec at his locker last week. “We’ve been really close and really good friends since I met him; I couldn’t be happier for the guy.
“He deserves it. I can’t believe there was even a doubt that he was going to make it or not, which is crazy to me. I love that the fans are involved in the voting, but I think it should be the players that have performed the best. The All-Star Game to me isn’t (about) the coolest guys; it should be the guys who deserve it. He’s been a guy who deserves it since day one.”
Dalbec, who has taken on a leadership role within the WooSox clubhouse, recognized Duran for his full body of work as a player.
“Nobody really factors in intangibles stuff now but being able to play every game and with that energy and produce along with his defensive capabilities is important. Being able to play every day is extremely important for an organization. As a manager, you feel comfortable with him in the lineup every day, and being reliable—I don’t know if that’s as big of a factor as it used to be, but he’s everything you could want as a leader,” said Dalbec.
Duran ended the first half hitting .284, slashing .342/.422/.764 with 10 homers, 27 doubles, 10 triples, 34 walks, 22 stolen bases, and 113 hits over 398 plate appearances in 95 games.
The Calif. native has played in every game for the Red Sox this season. His durability and hustle are two of the main reasons why Alex Cora pencils him into the lineup.
A prime example came during the Red Sox series finale on Sunday against the Royals at Fenway Park. In the home half of the first inning, Duran singled up the middle. The hit looked routine, but with Duran on the bases, no hit is routine with his electric speed. As the ball was rolling in the grass in center, he turned on the jets and sprinted to second base, diving for the two-bagger.
“I committed like right out of the box,” Duran said. “Because I knew it was like a chopper. It was going to slow down by the time it got to the grass. And yeah, I was just committed the whole way. So I knew coming out of the box I was going to take two.”
That effort is just one of the many examples of Duran’s hustle and part of why Dalbec referred to why the first-time All-Star is playing every day and making an impact for Boston.
WooSox reliever Chase Shugart was drafted during the 2018 MLB Draft as Duran, and they’ve grown up together in the organization. Shugart reflected on how Duran is showing who he truly is on the field.
“His game speaks for itself,” said Shugart. “We got drafted the same year, and to see the jump he made within the first year, he put on weight, and his athleticism speaks for itself. He’s playing his game. I don’t think he’s trying to please anyone anymore. I think he’s back to being who he is and unapologetically himself. I think that’s been huge for him.”
Nick Sogard, who came to the Red Sox organization in a trade with the Rays, also played with Duran in the system, including together in Worcester. The WooSox Swiss Army knife in the field took time to recognize the player Duran has become.
“First off, as a friend, I couldn’t be happier for him,” said Sogard. “He’s always been so talented. If you’ve played with him at any level, you could see he was always capable of doing this. It may not have looked like it at first when he went up. The talent and the way he plays the game is almost inevitable.
“The biggest thing was, can he mentally get there and settled in to where he needs to be. The way the city didn’t embrace him at first and has fallen in love with him now is awesome to see. People are starting to see the guy we’ve all loved for all these years. It’s just a really cool thing, honestly. Every time I’m seeing him do something, it’s making me happy. The road for him wasn’t linear.”
The road to Texas and the All-Star game had many bumps in the road for Duran. He’s dealt with issues on the field as well as off the diamond. As he transitioned from a minor leaguer to a leader for the Red Sox on the field and in the clubhouse, everything he’s doing has been noticed and impacted players and fans along the way.
Duran is an All-Star, and his journey is truly just beginning in baseball.
