Jarren Duran is fast, and he's putting that talent to good use for the Boston Red Sox early in the 2024 MLB season.
The speedy outfielder is tied for the league lead with six steals in six games. He has been successful in 30 of his last 32 stolen base attempts going back to 2023.
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Six steals in six games to begin a season is actually pretty rare, as Alex Speier of the Boston Globe noted on X:
The Red Sox have won more World Series titles in the 21st century than any other team, but that success hasn't been built on stealing bases.
In fact, Jacoby Ellsbury is the only Red Sox player since 1995 to steal more than 33 bases in a single season. Ellsbury, Julio Lugo (33 in 2007), Johnny Damon (31 in 2002) and Mookie Betts (30 in 2018) are the only Red Sox players this century with 30-plus steals in one season. Ellsbury set a team record with 70 stolen bases in 2009. He accounts for four of the Red Sox's 11-best stolen base seasons.
Ellsbury also is the only Red Sox player since 1973 to lead the American League in stolen bases. He did it three times (2008, 2009 and 2013). Duran, at this pace, could join him. If the 27-year-old outfielder can stay healthy and continue to get on base consistently, he could potentially steal between 60 and 70 bases.
It's a long season, but Duran's base-stealing has been pretty impressive so far for a Red Sox team that enters Wednesday afternoon's series finale against the Athletics with a 4-2 record.
