Who is Jarren Duran's dad Octavio Duran? All about the All-Star MVP’s father who inspired him during his shutdown
Jarren Duran's baseball brilliance can be traced back to his childhood. The biggest supporter in his story was his father, Octavio Duran, who witnessed his natural talent at a young age.
When Jarren returned the ball with good contact at two years old, Octavio Duran saw something special in his son. This led him to the bright lights of the MLB All-Star Game.
"At two years old I gave him a bat," Octavio remembered. "I threw a ball at him, and he actually hit the ball right back at me. I was like, ‘Oh, OK.’ From there I thought he had something special."
Octavio Duran was a manager at PepsiCo and had a passion for weightlifting since his school days. He always kept weights in his gym, which motivated his son to be in shape throughout his childhood.
“I studied [weightlifting] and learned from what suited me, not what people recommended. I created my own workouts,” said Octavio Duran back in 2021. “I’m just a gym rat. It’s one of the things I love. I have a passion for it."
However, in 2023, Jarren Duran struggled with his mental health, as he was underperforming in the major league. Moreover, he was sidelined in the final month-plus of the season with a toe injury. However, at that time, his father stood by him and felt good about his son opening up in front of his fans.
"He’s like a book. You’ve gotta turn one page at a time, and once he gets to know you, he opens up. I’m really proud of him,” Octavio said. “We always told him, ‘You’re a really great player. You’ve just gotta tell yourself that.’ He always doubted himself," Octavio stated.
Jarren Duran makes his presence known in the All-Star Game
Jarren Duran emerged as a dark horse at the MLB All-Star Game. The Red Sox outfielder delivered a clutch two-run homer in the fifth inning, pushing the American League to a 5-3 victory. He also secured the Ted Williams MVP Award with that shot.
The first-time All-Star approached the game differently, as he tried to focus on his game more than anything else. It worked, as his game-winning blast from Hunter Greene's pitch broke a tie and cemented his place in All-Star history.
"It’s a surreal moment. So I’m just thankful to be here,” said Duran, who was one of 39 first-time All-Stars this year.
“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," he added.
Jarren Duran was voted an All-Star by his peers because he became the first American League player to break with at least 10 homers, 10 triples and 10 stolen bases in 100 hits. Duran has always shown promise and has great support from his family as well.