"Bryce Harper hits 40 homers, he doesn't have to run" - Jarren Duran explains playing the game differently than Phillies superstar

Some players in baseball can crush the ball at will, and others can’t. According to Jarren Duran, Bryce Harper belongs to the first category.

The Boston Red Sox outfielder is coming off a career year, during which he hit 21 home runs and stole 34 bases, both career highs. These achievements earned him his first All-Star selection, a spot on the All-MLB Second Team and the title of AL leader in triples. On Wednesday, he joined the "Bat Boys" podcast to discuss his fitness drills and the importance of hitters understanding their fitness regimens.

The host brought up Phillies star Bryce Harper, noting how Harper used to have a lethal combination of speed and power but now seems more focused on power. The host compared Harper’s evolution to that of players like Jose Ramirez and Miguel Cabrera, who also became power hitters late in their careers.

"It's like he hit like 40 homers a year — he doesn't have to run the bases," Duran said (8:50 onwards). "You’ve got to see too that the games get long, and they’re playing a lot of games. Their bodies probably get tired a little bit, so they’re like, ‘Do I need to steal 20ish bags, or can I just hit 20 more home runs and drive myself in?’

"So, they probably went for the option to drive themselves in 20 more times, which isn’t a bad thing. They just know themselves, which is really important."

Jarren Duran emphasizes importance of hitters knowing their identity

Building on the discussion, Jarren Duran highlighted how crucial it is for hitters to understand their strengths and contribute to their teams accordingly. He said simply bulking up in the gym isn’t always the best approach, and that a sluggers need to understand their strengths. He took an example of himself to elaborate on the topic.

"You can get stronger and stuff, but if you don’t know who you are and what you do — it’s not going to work," Duran said. "Like, I’m not a home run guy. I’ll run into some baseballs, but I’m not going to go out there and hit 40 or 50 homers."

"I’m going to have to rely on singles, doublesdand stretching those into doubles or triples. So again, the most important thing for me is just staying strong and staying fast."

Jarren Duran batted .285 with 191 hits, 21 homers, 75 RBIs and 111 runs scored in 2024.