I remember the first time I saw Jarren Duran play. From the start he had my heart. It wasn’t that he was the best player on the field, it was the energy and emotion he brought to the field. I don’t remember exactly what happened but I think it was the end of the inning that made him literally jump up and down on the field with joy. He just had a pure heart and enthusiasm for the game. And we still see that today.

This year Jarren was nominated by fellow players and coaches to be an all star and man did he show up. Before we go into that though, I would just like to mention that in an on field interview Jarren said that when he received the nomination the first thing he did was call his dad and he said that the two of them cried together. There are not many players who would not only have that reaction but also share it with the world. He’s not afraid to show his emotions. He further inspires me with his motto “fuck em” describing his getting rid of the mental demons that tried to kill him. He talked about his mental health struggles that almost took his life, but here he is still fighting and telling them to leave him alone with his motto.

Back to the actual game. Duran was not selected as a starter, but he demonstrated his ability when he got the chance to play. Duran hit the homer that won the American League their win and won him MVP. The man is truly amazing. He was not cocky about it either. When given the award and interviewed he said that he was just looking around for his parents, just trying to find them and share the celebration with them. His love for his family and strong relationship with his parents inspires me. The hug they all shared on the field is heart warming.

So overall Jarren Duran is an amazing player who is not afraid to wear his emotions on his sleeve. In my opinion, he is the type of player we need more of in the MLB