Duran spent his first professional season with the
Lowell Spinners and
Greenville Drive, batting a combined .357 during 2018.[5][6] He started the 2019 season with the
High-ASalem Red Sox,[7][8][9] and was promoted to the Double-A
Portland Sea Dogs on June 3.[10] In mid-June, Duran was added to the top 100 prospects list of Baseball America, at number 99.[11] Duran was named to the 2019
All-Star Futures Game,[12] going 1-for-2 after entering the game in the sixth inning.[13] In mid-September, Duran was named the High-A (Class A-Advanced) player of the year by Baseball America,[14] and was named the Red Sox' minor league baserunner of the year.[15] Overall during 2019 with both Salem and Portland, Duran batted .303 with five home runs and 38 RBIs in 132 games.[16]
Duran was invited to spring training by the Red Sox in 2020.[17] He did not play that season, due to cancellation of the minor league season. In November 2020, Duran was ranked by Baseball America as the Red Sox' number five prospect.[18] During the 2020–21
Puerto Rican Winter League season, he was named MVP of the final series, helping
Criollos de Caguas to the championship.[19]
2021
The Red Sox invited Duran to their spring training for the second consecutive season in 2021;[20] he subsequently started the season with the
Triple-AWorcester Red Sox. On July 16, he was selected to Boston's
40-man roster.[21][22] He made his MLB debut the following day, starting in center field against the
New York Yankees. In his first at-bat, he collected a hit off of
Gerrit Cole and came around to score two batters later.[23] He hit his first major-league home run on July 19 against
Ross Stripling of the
Toronto Blue Jays.[24] Duran was placed on the COVID-19 related
injured list on August 6, and returned to the lineup two days later.[25][26] On August 24, Duran was optioned back to Triple-A, having batted .221 with 33 strikeouts in 89
plate appearances with Boston.[27] He was recalled to Boston two days later, when
Hunter Renfroe was placed on the bereavement list.[28] On September 3, Duran was placed on the COVID-related list.[29] He was activated on September 23 and optioned to Worcester.[30] Overall with Boston during the regular season, Duran appeared in 33 games, batting .215 with two home runs and 10 RBIs.[31] He also made 60 appearances for Worcester, batting .258 with 16 home runs and 36 RBIs.[32]
2022
Duran started the 2022 season in Triple-A with Worcester.[33] He was ranked 84th in the list of baseball's top 100 prospects by Baseball America.[34] Duran was with Boston for the game of May 6, while
Kiké Hernández was on the COVID-related injured list.[35][36] He was also briefly with Boston in early June, while
Jackie Bradley Jr. was on the paternity list.[37] He was again recalled in mid-June when
Christian Arroyo was placed on the COVID-related list.[38] Duran remained with Boston until being placed on the
restricted list in late June when the team traveled to Toronto, due to his vaccination status.[39] On July 22, he once again fell victim to Toronto, this time in center field at Fenway Park where he lost track of a fly ball and apparently gave up on the play, resulting in
Raimel Tapia of the Blue Jays scoring an
inside-the-parkgrand slam; the Red Sox lost the game, 28–5, setting a Blue Jays record for the largest margin of victory.[40] Duran was optioned back to Worcester on August 27, when
Trevor Story was activated from the injured list.[41] Duran was later recalled by the Red Sox for one game in Toronto, on September 30, having been vaccinated since the June series.[42] Overall for the season, Duran played in 58 major-league games, batting .221 with 3 home runs and 17 RBIs,[31] and 68 minor-league games, batting .283 with 10 home runs and 38 RBIs.[32]
2023
Duran was optioned to Triple-A Worcester to begin the 2023 season.[43] He was recalled to Boston on April 17, after an injury to
Adam Duvall[44] Over the next several months, Duran established himself as an effective hitter (ranked fourth in MLB for doubles) and base stealer (24-for-26) at the major-league level. He became a fixture in Boston's lineup, and established himself as an everyday player. On August 22, however, he was placed on the injured list due to a toe injury.[45] On August 29, it was announced that Duran would undergo a season-ending surgery for
turf toe.[46][47] Duran batted .295 with 8 home runs and 40 RBIs through 102 games in 2023, adding 24 stolen bases. At the time of his injury, his 34 doubles were seventh in MLB and fourth in the American League. On September 4, the team transferred him to the 60-day injured list.[48]
2024
Prior to Spring Training, Duran was announced by manager
Alex Cora as the
leadoff hitter for the 2024 season. [49]
International career
Duran is of Mexican descent through his father.[50] He played in the
2021 Caribbean Series for the Criollos de Caguas, where he helped lead the team to the championship game and was selected to the
All-Tournament Team.[51]