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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. Strength gains carried over into the 2021 season.
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. Very quick hands. Aggressive
and will attack early in the count, but can recognize spin and
will take a walk. Will take what the pitcher gives him. Has
swing-and-miss and will expand the zone at times. Approach has
improved, but will require some refinement against major league
pitching. In college, was instructed to and used a low, wide
stance before coming up and back, but in pro ball tapped into
unexpected offensive potential when he changed his initial setup
to start more upright. Has shown the ability to make adjustments
to improve and to address holes in his swing; 2020 swing change
was done on his own, not at the suggestion of the organization.
Potential average hit tool.
Power: Plus
raw power after 2020 swing adjustments. Increased strength and
added loft in swing allow him the drive the ball to all fields,
but 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:
True plus-plus speed. Potential difference-maker on the bases.
Needs to refine base-stealing instincts, but has the type of
speed that puts immense pressure on the defense. Speed has
allowed him to post high batting averages on balls in play
during his minor league career.
Field:
Potential fringe-average defender. Has the speed and athleticism
teams covet for center field, but is still raw and needs to
continue developing in the outfield after moving from second
base during his pro debut. Not clear that he will stick in
center field, and may be a better fit in left given arm and
uniquely spacious right field at Fenway Park. Has improved what
was initially a slow first step in the outfield, struggling with
initial reads, but still is not a natural outfielder. Often able
to make up for slow reads and inefficient routes with his speed.
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. At this
point, a return to the infield would be very difficult given how
long it has been since he worked out at the position. |
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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. Has performed at a much higher
level as a pro than even the organization was expecting, due in
large part to abandoning much of what he was taught in college
and switching to a more natural swing. Participated in the Fall
Instructional League in 2018. Flirted with hitting .400 for much
of his time in Salem in 2019, but a slight slump in the week or
so before his promotion to Portland brought his average below
that mark. 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 U.S. Olympic team if not
for the Red Sox’ request 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 fourth outfielder.
Ceiling of an everyday center fielder. Ability to reach 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 changed his
outlook, but now needs to adjust again to be able to handle
major league pitching. Now looks like a potential average
offensive player with plus-plus speed who is passable in the
outfield and able to get by because of his speed and athleticism
while he continues to refine his reads and routes. 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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