Jarren Duran, the center fielder for the Boston Red Sox, was named Most Valuable Player (MVP) of the 2024 MLB All-Star Game after hitting a go-ahead two-run homer in the fifth inning. The American League defeated the National League with a score of 5-3. Duran's father watched from the first base stands as part of his son's eight-person cheering section.
Duran was taken by the Red Sox in the seventh round out of Long Beach State in 2018 and made it to the Futures Game the following year. This season, he has hit .284/.342/.477 with an AL-best 27 doubles, an MLB-high 10 triples, and 10 home runs.
The Red Sox took Duran's gauge of pitcher Hunter Greene's fastball speed before looking for a pitch up. Greene obliged, and Duran hit the ball out of the park to give the AL a lead they would not relinquish.
Duran joins an esteemed list of Red Sox players who have won MVP honors at the All-Star Game, including J.D. Drew (2008), Pedro Martinez (1999), Roger Clemens (1986), and Hall of Famer Carl Yastrzemski (1970).
Octavio Duran, Jarren's father, shared his thoughts on the game-winning homer: “I knew he put a good swing on it. I thought it would be a double or a triple because that's basically what he does.”
The MLB All-Star Game is an annual exhibition baseball game between the American League (AL) and the National League (NL), featuring the best players from each league.
