Jarren Duran did not crack the Red Sox’s 2023 Opening Day roster, which increased doubt about the 27-year-old’s prospects of becoming a true big leaguer.
Duran hasn’t only vanquished those concerns this season, but he’s established himself as one of the better outfielders in baseball.
That notion was legitimized Sunday night when Duran was selected to the American League All-Star team. It was an impressive accomplishment for the 2018 seventh-round pick, who’s made tremendous strides in multiple facets of his game and has become one of the most important players on Boston’s roster.
It also was an accolade Duran wasn’t expecting once he cut his teeth in the majors. The California native admitted as much when ESPN’s “Sunday Night Baseball” crew asked if he ever imagined he’d be an All-Star.