FORT MYERS, Fla. — While certain parts of last season pleased Jhoan Duran, his output isn’t one of them.
The Twins closer likes that he remained healthy the rest of the season after missing the first month with a right oblique strain. But when the right-hander looks back on his 2024 campaign, his 3.64 ERA, declining strikeout rate and reduced velocity bother him.
Duran attributes his struggles — in a season in which he still converted 23 of 25 save opportunities — to lapses in offseason preparation. Multiple trips from the United States to the Dominican Republic a year ago disrupted his conditioning workflow.
With that in mind, this winter Duran strived for the type of consistency he had with his 2022-23 offseason workouts. Speaking after the Twins completed their first workout of the spring on Thursday, Duran noted that he lost 12 pounds in the process, and already hit 99 mph on the radar gun earlier this week.
“The numbers I didn’t like too much,” Duran said of the 2024 season. “I didn’t have a really good offseason because when I was doing my prep work for the regular season, I’d go to the Dominican for two weeks and go back and forth. I want to be the same pitcher I was in 2023.”
Duran, 27, didn’t need to look any further than the radar gun to find the motivation to improve. His average fastball velocity dipped from 101.8 mph in 2023 to 100.5 mph last season and his curveball dropped from 87.7 mph to 86.1 mph, according to Baseball Savant.
As a result, opponents hit 81 points higher against his fastball, which played a part in the spike in Duran’s ERA (up from 2.45 in 2023), and he also recorded one fewer strikeout per nine innings.
Duran insists he didn’t make any major changes to his diet or conditioning. He reduced how much rice he consumes, but otherwise is eating the same meals. His workouts are the same, too. He simply focused on completing his offseason regimen more often.
Though Duran is not in “best shape of his life” territory, even the tiniest difference in consistency produced a noticeable result.
“He had a really nice offseason,” Twins manager Rocco Baldelli said. “You could really look at him and see that he spent a lot of time and effort on (arriving) in excellent shape.”
Trevor Larnach already has a good idea about Duran’s improved form. Larnach stepped into the batter’s box against the 6-foot-5 reliever on Monday to track pitches even though he’d arrived in camp only a few hours earlier.
Nothing like a 99 mph fastball to start off your spring.
“It’ll help your timing for sure,” Larnach said. “(Duran) looks good, everything I expected him to look like. Closer of a team like this? I think he put in a lot of work this offseason and I think it’s showing. His (pitches) looked great.”
Jhoan Duran warms up on Wednesday. (Chris Tilley / Imagn Images)
Duran also was slowed down by an injury last spring. Five weeks after arriving in camp, he suffered a moderate injury to his right oblique in mid-March. He missed the Twins’ first 28 games of the season, returning to the mound for only one April appearance.
“When you’ve got an injury like that, it’s hard to come back, you know, because when you’ve got that injury you can’t move it like and do mechanics,” Duran said. “You need to be chilling, like sitting down all the time. You can’t do anything. For me, it’s not good because I lost my rhythm. Maybe that’s why (he struggled). Maybe this year if I don’t (have) that, I’ll be good.”
Unlike a year ago, Duran is feeling good physically. His face is noticeably thinner.
Duran likes the makeup of a deep Twins bullpen. He noted “everybody looks good” upon arriving at camp. With Duran leading the way, the Twins are hopeful their bullpen can be a difference-maker.
“I feel like 90 percent better,” Duran said. “Last offseason was not the same, not consistent. When I fly, I lose a day. … (This year) was good. I did what I do. So it’s good.”
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Baldelli on recent signings
The Twins manager said outfielder Harrison Bader would see significant time in left field this spring as a way to acclimate. Though he’s primarily been a center fielder since he was drafted in 2015, Bader, who signed a one-year deal worth $6.25 million last week, previously played left field at the University of Florida.
The Twins hope to use Bader in left field at times when Byron Buxton patrols center. Baldelli is excited to add a player with Bader’s speedy skill set.
“Having a guy that can do exciting game-changing types of things on the bases, I think it’s a great thing to add to our current group,” Baldelli said. “We have a lot of strengths, but one thing we didn’t have a ton of was guys that take the game over on the bases and help you win a game in a big way on the bases. Bader is one of those guys.”
Baldelli also indicated left-hander Danny Coulombe, who signed a one-year deal worth $3 million last week, would pitch in trusted spots. In two seasons with Baltimore, Coulombe added a cut-fastball that he threw more often than any other pitch in his repertoire.
“Danny’s a guy that we can bring in and feel really good about sending out there on the Opening Day roster to pitch in important spots,” Baldelli said.
Baldelli also indicated Louie Varland could wind up in the bullpen, though he’s not ready to commit to that idea.
“He’s a guy that can adapt very quickly if we needed him to,” Baldelli said. “It’s very possible that we see a good amount of him out of the bullpen this year. We’ve seen the way he looks when he pitches out of the bullpen, but I’m not ready to say 100 percent locked in that Louie will pitch there. Let’s wait and see.”
(Top photo of Jhoan Duran: Quinn Harris / Getty Images)
