Dustin Pedroia still helping the Red Sox on the field, albeit behind the scenes
BOSTON -- Much has been made of Jarren Duran's offensive turnaround this season, and rightfully so. The 26-year-old is hitting .360 with a .991 OPS this season, after hitting .221 with a .645 OPS in the big leagues last season.
While a noticeable change in his hand level in the batter's box has helped contribute to this year's performance, The Athletic's Ken Rosenthal revealed the inspiration for that change.
It came from Dustin Pedroia.
According to Rosenthal, Pedroia was in the batting cage with Duran in Fort Myers this spring and suggested he hold his hands higher while waiting for the pitch. Per Duran, the instructions were colorful.
"He basically just told me, get your hands up, be athletic, act like you're going to hit the f------ s--- out of the ball," Duran told Rosenthal. "For him to say that to me, I was like, 'Hell, yeah. I'm going to buy in.'"
Pedroia told Rosenthal that Duran reminds him of Jacoby Ellsbury, and he offered some advice beyond the mechanics of his swing.
"I also told him he has to be him and stop worrying about what everyone else wants him to be," Pedroia told Rosenthal. "He hit about 50 balls with his hands up off the machine and they were driven. And then he gave me a hug and smiled."
Pedroia hasn't taken an at-bat for the Red Sox since April of 2019, and he hasn't been a full-time player since 2017. But clearly, he's still doing what he can when he can to help the team.
