Jonathan Duran enters in his ninth season with the Dallas Spirits. Originally from the Dominican Republic, Duran spent most of 2017 playing for the Spirits (35+) Veterans squad, but also assisted the Open (18+) with his skills. Duran showcased his pitching and hitting during an outstanding Fall season back in 2015 and made his way up the ranks as to become one of the Spirits’ top pitchers and in 2016. His talent extended to the offensive end as well.
During the 2018 campaign, Duran finished seventh on the team with an average of .283 in a league that was much more competitive than previous seasons. Duran was fourth on the team with 12 hits, including a double and finished the season with 10 runs scored and 10 runs batted in, good enough for second on the team in RBIs. Duran’s clutch-hitting became a staple in close games and he could be relied upon to move runners over or to assist with batting in the tying or go ahead run. His patience and focus at the plate gives him the ability to to be a relied upon offensive weapon in any part of the batting order. Duran was voted to the NTABL Veterans All-Star game by his teammates as a pitcher and he went on to finish 2018 with a 4-3 record and also with 2 saves. He pitched 3 complete games during the season and led the team after throwing 607 pitches, 409 of which were strikes. He finished with a 3.77 ERA and finished second with 24 strikeouts.
In 2019, Duran’s staple was pitching. The team relied on him to pitch in 12 games and Duran finished with a 6.66 ERA and 21 strikeouts. Duran caught fire during Fall baseball, finishing the short season with a .611 batting average that included a triple and 6 RBIs. He finished 3-0 as a pitcher and a 3.06 ERA with 10 strikeouts in 5 games pitched, assisting the squad in its second Fall Championship. In 2020, Duran appeared in 13 games as a pitcher, far more than any other arm for the Spirits (35+) squad that struggled with offense. Duran was relied upon often, finishing the season with a 2-7-1 record that wasn’t reflective of his contributions each game he played. He finished with a 5.78 ERA and was second on the team with 31 strikeouts. He struggled at the plate during the 2020 campaign following off-season eye surgery that lead to a career low batting average of .120. John’s impact from the mound will be his most needed contribution as he will be relied upon in the Spirits (40+) pitching rotation.
In 2021, Duran finished with a .348 average for the Spirits (40+) squad, adding 8 hits, 11 runs scored, and 6 runs batted in. On the hill, Duran finished with a team-high record of 7-3, posting a 4.43 ERA in 42.67 innings pitched. Duran was just under a 2 to 1 strike to ball ratio, and he struck out 20 hitters in 13 games played.
In 2023, Duran continued his success on the mound, earning the team’s “Big Arm” award after finishing with a 5-1 record and a 4.47 ERA, with one save, and 14 strikeouts. During the Fall season, Jonathan hit .250 and ended the season 1.0 with a 2.10 ERA and 6 strikeouts. Duran will also join the Spirits (42+) team during 2023.
Jon brings a level head and great experience to assist his teammates in technique and critique. He’s essentially relied upon as a batting coach for his approach at the plate and the Spirits also rely on Jon’s infield skills, typically at 3B or in the OF when needed. Although an eye injury set him back during 2017, he’s since rehabilitated following off-season surgery and continues to be a valuable and reliable player. He’s up to any challenge offered to him at any time and continues to improve as a pitcher and as a hitter and he’s capable of playing just about any position on the field. Duran will continue to be part of the rotation as the team seeks to rebound from a disappointing 2019 season during summer play.
Proud of his heritage, you can expect nothing but positive input and reliability as well as some coaching from this Reggaeton-loving ball player. Duran resides in Dallas, TX along with his beautiful wife, April and their two children.
Nickname: “JD,” “Duran”