94TH MLB ALL-STAR GAME

July 16, 2024

Jarren Duran

Globe Life Field

American League

Press Conference

American League - 5, National League - 3

THE MODERATOR: Congrats to the Ted Williams All-Star Game MVP, appropriately from the Boston Red Sox, Jarren Duran. Congrats.

JARREN DURAN: Thank you.

Q. Congrats, Jarren. Did you ever picture yourself, in your first All-Star Game, in your first at-bat, hitting a home run? What was the emotions like running around the bases?

JARREN DURAN: I mean, it's kind of hard to put into words, but honestly, I couldn't stop thinking my family and being able to go see them after the game.

But I'm just thankful that I was able to do that and help the AL team win.

Q. Jarren, you said earlier today you were enjoying the experience of being here. Once you got into the game, how much did you enjoy that part of it? Not just the home run, but playing in the game?

JARREN DURAN: Hanging out with all those guys in the dugout was awesome. Everybody was cheering. To be in the locker room is cool. But to see us all in the same uniform from different teams, hanging out together, cheering together, it was a surreal moment for me.

Q. Can you take us through the at-bat and what you were looking for?

JARREN DURAN: Well, I knew he threw really hard so I was just praying he would throw me a first pitch fastball so I could see how hard it was. After that, I was hoping to get a pitch up. He happened to leave a pitch up. I happened to put a good swing on it.

Q. Jarren, you have a lot of family here. How many people here for you?

JARREN DURAN: I think six, seven. Eight. Sorry.

Q. Who do you have here?

JARREN DURAN: Mom, dad, brother, his girlfriend, my Uncle Mark, and his wife.

Q. And how would you describe how far you've come over these last couple years? Looked like last year was sort of a breakthrough, breakout, and this year has been a breakthrough. What have you done better to get to this stage?

JARREN DURAN: I think I just continue to work hard. I feel like I hold that on my shoulders, is that I go out there and work as hard as I can every single day.

So I think just working. I mean, like, trying to perfect my craft. I go out there with Huddy and do defensive work. He's helped me a lot and Pete and Rosenthal in the cages grinding way. Every single day, I'm working, trying to be better.

Q. Jarren, to have your name alongside those of Mike Piazza, Derek Jeter and Mike Trout, others who have won the award, could you put this in perspective, baseball history?

JARREN DURAN: I didn't think about that. That's a great list of names to be a part of. I think I'm just thankful to be able to play in the All-Star Game and for the Red Sox and to represent them well.

It's just -- I don't know, it's a surreal moment. So I'm just thankful to be here.

Q. Jarren, you were confident in obviously coming through the year. Are you leaving here even with another wave of confidence, having gone through all this?

JARREN DURAN: What do you mean by confident?

Q. Just you feel like you're the best of the best. I mean, All-Star Game MVP.

JARREN DURAN: You know me. That's not how I think about myself. So I'm definitely not thinking I'm the best of the best. I'm a guy that keeps my head down and just works hard. I don't like to think of myself better than anybody else. So I'm just here to work hard. There's so many good players in this league. I'm just thankful that I can play against these guys.

Q. I guess what I'm saying is just the feeling that you have, this must be a feeling as a baseball player that you haven't had in your entire life.

JARREN DURAN: Yeah. I mean, All-Star Game, first home run All-Star Game MVP, it is a first. And I'm just very thankful. It's hard to put into words. It won't hit me until I try to go to sleep tonight. Who knows if I'll be able to sleep tonight.

Q. To get an award named after Ted Williams, as a Red Sox yourself, how do you process that?

JARREN DURAN: I mean, after Ted Williams, the Red Sox, like, that's an honor. Who else would I want to try to and follow in the footsteps of besides a guy like that, who is not just a great baseball player but a great human being. That guy was awesome, and I'm honored to be able to have his award.

Q. Red Sox have played a lot better than a lot of people thought they would. You guys are right in the hunt. What is exciting to you about the second half coming up? How have you guys gotten to this point as a team?

JARREN DURAN: I think we just have a lot of young guys, man, that love to play the game. We play every game hard. We run out ground balls, we put pressure on the defense. I think it's just one of those things where we're just staying together and we've got each other's backs. I know we get beat up sometimes. But the way we come back and fight back is a huge thing. That's awesome out of a young team. I'm excited the way we're going to take the second half.

Q. How many messages do you have on your phone?

JARREN DURAN: I haven't been on my phone yet. Went straight to you guys.

Q. Beyond your family, is there anybody that you want to sort of share this with? You've talked about a lot of the guys around the team who have helped you. Anybody in particular you'd like to share this with?

JARREN DURAN: Probably AC, Huddy, Rosy, Pete, Crony, all those guys. And my teammates. I can't wait to talk to them, and hopefully they're proud of me. And probably talk to, like, Rob Refsnyder, Trevor Story. Basically all my boys. Everybody on the team. I'm excited to talk to them.

THE MODERATOR: Congratulations, Jarren. Great job.

JARREN DURAN: Thank you.