Red Sox OF already causing terror on base paths
Boston Red Sox outfielder Jarren Duran is already wreaking havoc on the base paths in the early going.
The speedster recorded five steals through the first five games of the season, a new franchise record for the Sox. Three of those came during the first three innings of Boston's 9-0 win Monday night against the Oakland Athletics.
"Being able to cause havoc for the guys behind me is always a good thing," Duran said, per Alex Speier of the Boston Globe. "Every time I get on the bases, I'm looking to cause havoc, run in guys' faces, make guys fumble the ball running down the line."
Duran, 27, could play a crucial part at the top of Boston's batting order if he remains healthy. The lefty had a breakout season last year, slashing .295/.346/.828. He led the team with 24 stolen bases, getting thrown out only twice over 102 games. His season was cut short, though, after suffering a foot injury in August.
This year, getting his stolen base rate up would be especially significant for a team that acknowledges it may be short on offensive power. The Red Sox had only 92 stolen bases combined during the 2021 and 2022 seasons. In 2023 alone, they had 112, but that wasn't without a handful of memorable base-running mistakes to go along with it.
Still, with the roster Boston has now, the team is capable of a lot more.
"We're about to see," Cora said, per Peter Abraham of the Boston Globe. "It feels good. Defensively, we're going to make errors but we're going to make plays, too. It starts with Trevor, the attitude, and the way he goes about it. Compared to last year, you see our roster and what we have right now; with all due respect to the guys [from last season] we're a lot more athletic."
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