"Jarren Duran hit two home runs in the Red Sox' Grapefruit League game against the Twins on Saturday. Duran went yard in his first at-bat, turning righty Taj Bradley's 97 mph fastball into a 401-foot blast to center. But arguably the more impressive homer from Duran came in the fourth inning. Duran hit a 409-foot homer to center off lefty Kendry Rojas's 94 mph fastball."
"It's certainly a positive development for Duran, who has struggled against lefties for much of his career. The 29-year-old left-handed hitter has a career .232 batting average and .620 OPS against southpaws in his career. He also has just eight homers in 558 career plate appearances against lefties."
"The 2025 season was particularly rough for Duran against lefties. He hit just .211 with a .600 OPS and three homers in 209 plate appearances in lefty-on-lefty matchups last year. With Duran taking a step back at the plate in 2025, the prevailing thought entering the offseason was that he would be the odd man out in the Red Sox' outfield."
Jarren Duran demonstrated unexpected power during spring training, hitting three home runs in the first week, including two against left-handed pitchers. He hit a 401-foot homer off righty Taj Bradley and a 409-foot blast off lefty Kendry Rojas on Saturday, following another 409-foot homer against Chris Sale on Friday. This performance is significant because Duran has historically struggled against lefties, posting a .232 career batting average and .620 OPS in those matchups. Last season was particularly difficult, with just a .211 average against left-handed pitchers. The Red Sox had considered trading Duran after his 2025 struggles, but no deal materialized. Manager Alex Cora planned to use Wilyer Abreu against lefties, but Duran's spring performance may alter those plans.
Read at Boston.com
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