Red Sox outfielder on potential All-Star trajectory

Jarren Duran understands why he’s being asked the question, but it’s not something he wants to think or talk too much about.

Could he potentially be playing his way onto the American League All-Star team?

“I don’t want to talk about the All-Star team. I don’t want to talk about my performance,” Duran said. “I’m just not a big about-me guy, I’m just trying to go out and play, I don’t want to think about personal stats or anything, I just want to go out there, have fun, it’s not in my character to want to make it about me.”

That’s completely fair, but the way he’s been playing, it’s only a matter of time before the conversation starts picking up steam.

Duran has been not only one of the Red Sox most productive position players, but one of the best outfielders in the American League through the first two months of the season. His traditional statistics don’t immediately jump off the page — he’s batting .272 with three home runs and 21 RBI — but his impact on the base paths, his ability to drive the ball for extra bases and his dramatic improvement defensively has made him an early candidate for All-Star consideration.

Entering Sunday, Duran has 15 doubles, eight triples and 11 stolen bases, making him the first player in Red Sox history to post those numbers through his first 52 games. Duran’s advanced metrics are also off the charts, and according to Statcast his Baserunning Run Value is the best in baseball, his Fielding Run Value ranks 98th percentile and his outfield range (99th percentile) and sprint speed (94th percentile) are among the game’s elite.

He also ranks third among all AL outfielders with a 2.9 wins above replacement mark, ahead of New York Yankees superstar Juan Soto (2.7) and behind only Yankees great Aaron Judge (3.3) and Houston’s Kyle Tucker (3.2). Those three are likely the top contenders to earn starting outfield spots on the AL All-Star team, but Duran is building a convincing case of his own.

Arguably Duran’s most impressive feat so far is the fact he’s played every day, making him one of only a small handful of players across MLB who haven’t sat out a game. Duran said he’s honored to have gotten that opportunity and Cora said his consistent playing time isn’t an accident.

“This playing every day thing is real, and we’re going to push you,” Cora said. “He’s accepted the challenge, and you see him, it feels like every time he goes to the plate something good is going to happen.”

After enduring numerous false starts and some painful lowlights early in his career, Duran has blossomed into the sort of dynamic talent the Red Sox long believed he could become. If he keeps up his current pace it may only be a matter of time before he’s recognized accordingly by the rest of the league too.

from Boston Herald https://ift.tt/qQ8r0al