Prospect Retrospective: Jhoan Duran

Duran originally signed with the Arizona Diamondbacks back in February 2015 out of the Dominican Republic. His professional debut came in the Dominican Summer League, where he posted a 3.25 ERA and a 1.32 WHIP in 63 2/3 innings. He struggled to strike out batters (6.2 K/9), but he was two years younger than the average age of the competition at his level. 

During the 2016 season, Duran made his stateside debut, but he was limited to seven starts. It was such a small sample size that it’s hard to read much into his 4.96 ERA and 1.47 WHIP. He made his full-season debut during the 2017 season. In 62 1/3 innings at Low-A, he posted a 4.24 ERA with a 1.20 WHIP, but his K/9 was still below 6.4. His early career numbers didn’t exactly put him on the prospect map. 

As a 20-year-old in 2018, Duran moved up to High-A and struggled to transition to the next level. In 64 2/3 innings (15 starts), he allowed 34 earned runs, but his strikeout numbers were on the rise. After posting a 7.1 K/9 or lower in 2017, he posted a 9.9 K/9 while keeping his walk rate reasonably consistent. Scouts were starting to come around on Duran, and teams like Minnesota noticed. 

At the 2018 trade deadline, the Twins acquired Duran along with Gabriel Maciel and Ernie De La Trinidad for Eduardo Escobar’s expiring contract. Besides Duran, the other two players are no longer in the organization. Duran posted even better numbers after the trade at High-A as he tossed 36 innings with a 2.00 ERA, a 0.81 WHIP, and 11.0 K/9. As the 2018 season ended, he posted career-best totals in nearly every statistical category. 

While the 2018 season saw Duran emerge, the 2019 season is when he firmly established himself on the prospect map. As a 21-year-old, he reached Double-A while posting a 10.6 K/9. He pitched 115 innings with a 3.76 ERA and a 1.19 WHIP. He established himself as one of Minnesota’s top pitching prospects, and Baseball America had him ranked on their top-100 list. 

Duran’s development may have been impacted by the missed 2020 minor league season. Minnesota had added him to the 40-man roster leading into the season, allowing him to work at the team’s alternate site. His innings pitched increased in every professional season, so it would be interesting to see if a different scenario played out during the 2020 campaign. 

However, that didn’t happen, and Duran retook the mound in 2021. He made five appearances at Triple-A, and there were some electric moments as he hit triple-digits with his fastball. Unfortunately, he was limited to 16 innings due to an elbow strain, but he avoided surgery. Minnesota’s front office likely considered this when deciding to transition him to relief pitching in 2022. 

His triple-digit fastball and splinker combo can make him a dangerous relief option. His splinker is a pitch rarely seen in baseball, making it challenging for hitters to know how to attack it. As a reliever, he can ignore some of his less effective pitches and focus on his two best offerings. He was very successful this spring, but now he will need to prove he can translate this success to the big-league level. 

Baseball’s use of pitchers continues to evolve, and Duran can still provide value even if he isn’t used as a starter. In the wake of trading away the team’s current closer, it’s hard not to look at Duran and wonder if he can be the team’s closer in the future. 

What memories do you have of Duran’s time in the minors? Leave a COMMENT and start the discussion.