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Physical Description: Tall,
strong frame. Quick-twitch athlete. Athleticism stands out on
the field. Has added significant strength in his upper body
since he joined the system, and specifically was noticeably
stronger when he reported to the Alternate Training Site in
2020.
Hit: Starts upright and slightly
open with his hands below his belt, the latest iteration of a
series of significant changes to his setup and swing since 2020.
Tweaked his setup that year, debuting it at the Alternate
Training Site, starting with his hands lower down at his chest
before bringing them back up in his load, a change made in an
attempt to lift the ball more. After success in Triple-A in
2021, his swing did not translate at the major league level, so
he started a series of pronounced tweaks and changes over the
course of the final two months of the MLB season that ranged
from returning to his more normal stance to things like swinging
with his hands spaced apart on the bat. In Spring Training 2022,
returned with his hands lower and his leg kick gone in favor of
a short, quick leg lift. Direct, uppercut swing. Aggressive and
will attack early in the count. Has swing-and-miss and will
expand the zone at times. Really struggles against velocity up
in the zone and will constantly be challenged up there. Approach
has improved some, but will require some refinement against
major league pitching. Potential fringe-average hit tool.
Power: Plus raw power after 2020 swing
adjustments and strength gains. Increased strength and added
loft in swing allow him the drive the ball to all fields,
especially to the pull side. Showed improved power at 2020
Alternate Training Site and quickly showed that 2020 swing
changes could work in real games in 2021, significantly changing
his in-game power projection. Prior to 2020 change, had
below-average raw power with a swing not geared for
over-the-fence power. Speed also leads to more doubles and
triples on hard-hit line drives, inflating his power numbers
somewhat. Average power potential.
Run:
Plus-plus speed. Needs to refine base-stealing instincts, but
has the type of speed that puts immense pressure on the defense.
Speed allowed him to post high batting averages on balls in play
during his minor league career.
Field:
Potential below-average defender. Has the speed and athleticism
teams look for in center field, but has struggled with the more
skill-based aspects of the position since converting from second
base during his pro debut. Unlikely to be able to handle center
field in a full time capacity at the major league level and is a
better fit in left field given his arm and the uniquely spacious
right field at Fenway Park. Has improved what was initially a
very slow first step in the outfield, but still struggles with
initial reads and doesn’t take the most efficient routes. Speed
can cover for some of his poor reads, but still is not a natural
outfielder. First moved to right field, where the line to the
plate was similar to that at second base, before converting
full-time in 2019 to center field, with the hope his speed could
allow him to develop tremendous range. At second base, showed
soft hands and fluid actions, though athleticism was somewhat
wasted. |
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Arm: Below-average arm strength. Passable in
the outfield, but throws lack carry.
Career
Notes: Led his high school team to a state title his
sophomore year. Made it to the Super Regionals with Long Beach
State in 2017. Put together a strong season for Wareham in the
2017 Cape Cod Summer League. Performed at a much higher level
after signing than even the organization was expecting, due in
large part to abandoning the wide-base, slap-and-run approach he
was taught in college and switching to a more natural, upright
swing. Participated in the Fall Instructional League in 2018.
Played at the Alternate Training Site in 2020, where he showed
significant improvements in his power corresponding with a swing
change. Impressed at the plate as a non-roster invitee to Spring
Training in 2021, but showed that he still had work to do on
defense. Opened 2021 at the Alternate Training Site. Played for
Team USA in the 2021 Americas Olympic Qualifier, and would have
been part of the U.S. Olympic team if not for the Red Sox
requesting to be able to pull him off of the roster if they
wanted to call him up. Did, in fact, receive his first MLB
call-up coming out of the 2021 All-Star Break. Entered 2022
season ranked as a top 100 prospect by many outlets.
Summation: Potential reserve outfielder.
Ceiling of a fringe, second-division regular. Ability to reach
his ceiling is dependent on keeping the swing-and-miss in his
game manageable and continuing to improve defensively. Swing
changes that allowed him to tap into his raw power have not
translated to the major league level and now needs to adjust
again to be able to handle major league pitching. With his
speed, has the potential to put a lot of pressure on the defense
and inflate his average with infield singles and slugging by
taking extra bases. Could also steal 25-plus bases if he
improves his baserunning instincts.
Links
State of the System:
Outfielders (5.13.20)
Video from Pawtucket (8.18.2020)
Video from Pawtucket (8.20.2020)
Video from Pawtucket (9.1.2020)
Scouting Scratch (5.3.2021)
Scouting Report Update: Jarren Duran gets The Call (7.14.2021)
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