Dustin Pedroia Fixed Jarren Duran's Swing With Expletive-Ridden Coaching Session

One of Boston's most beloved players aided a budding star

Scott Neville | May 10, 2023

Dustin Pedroia Fixed Jarren Duran's Swing With Expletive-Ridden Coaching Session /

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Boston Red Sox

Boston Red Sox legend Dustin Pedroia is passing the "Laser Show" torch to one of the most dynamic players on the current roster.

The infamous second baseman took some time in spring training to coach up Jarren Duran, and reportedly had a major impact on the 26-year-old's new swing -- and increased confidence.

Pedroia relayed his advice in a way that should be expected, with expletives aplenty.

"(Pedroia) 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 The Athletic's Ken Rosenthal. “For him to say that to me, I was like, ‘Hell, yeah. I’m going to buy in.’”

The adjustment made was to get his hands in a more neutral, hitter-friendly position -- Duran has explored hitting stances that were both too high and most recently too low in his short Red Sox tenure. However, it's clear that Duran has the tools to be special. He's often received comparisons to another Red Sox centerfielder, one that Pedroia agrees with.

“He had his hands low," Pedroia told Rosenthal. "I told him to get his hands up and be an athlete, He is very athletic and strong and reminds me of (Jacoby) Ellsbury in 2011.

“I also told him he has to be him and stop worrying about what everyone else wants him to be. 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.”

Duran appears to be amid a breakout season and has been a huge factor in the Red Sox's recent success.

The surging outfielder is hitting .360 (27-for-84) with 13 extra-base hits including two home runs, 13 RBIs, five steals in as many attempts and a .991 OPS.

If Duran continues to be a changed man and a regular contributor for Boston, Red Sox Nation will have yet another reason to thank Pedroia.

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Published May 10, 2023

SCOTT NEVILLE

Scott Neville covers the Boston Red Sox for Sports Illustrated's new page "Inside The Red Sox." Before starting "Inside The Red Sox", Neville attended Merrimack College, where he earned his Bachelor’s Degree in Communication and Media with a minor in Marketing. Neville spent all four years with Merrimack's radio station WMCK, where he grew as a radio/podcast host and producer. His propensity for being in front of a microphone eventually expanded to film, where he produced multiple short films alongside his then-roommate and current co-worker Stephen Mottram. On a journey that began as a way to receive easy credits via film classes, he received a call from "It's Always Sunny In Philadelphia" star Charlie Day. Day advised him to make a feature-length film, which he completed his senior year. While writing the film, Neville completed an internship for United Way as part of their NFL Partnership Program. Neville ran the blog for a team of interns and hosted an internet show called "United Way's NFL Partnership Series" where he interviewed NFL alumni. After college Neville wrote for SB Nation's "Over The Monster," a Red Sox sister site of the flagship brand. His work would eventually lead him to a job as a content producer with NESN, where he would cover all sports. After developing as a writer with the top regional network in the world, he was given the opportunity to join the Sports Illustrated Media Group in his current endeavor as the publisher of "Inside The Red Sox." The successful launch and quick rise of "Inside The Red Sox" led to Neville joining the Baseball Essential ownership group, a national baseball site under SIMG. Follow him on Twitter: @ScottNeville46 Email: nevilles@merrimack.edu