Today: TEX Prospect German Duran
German Duran is a versatile infield prospect with the Texas Rangers. After impressing the team in a pre-draft workout, he went higher than expected, as the suitably-impressed Rangers selected Duran with their 6th round pick in 2005. Sent immediately to A ball, he hit near-300 his first two seasons while playing second, third and shortstop.
Moved up to AA Frisco for 2007, Duran took over for Ian Kinsler at second base and posted his most productive season yet, hiting exactly .300 with 22 homers in 480 at-bats. His strikeout rate was a bit higher than usual, but as a power-hitting middle infielder looking for a big league opportunity, it's a safe guess to say he was pushing a bit.
| Yr | Tm | Age | Lvl | G | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | SB | CS | BB | SO | AVG | OBP | SLG | OPS |
| 2005 | Spokane | 20 | A- | 62 | 252 | 36 | 66 | 17 | 2 | 4 | 33 | 6 | 4 | 18 | 56 | .262 | .313 | .393 | .706 |
| 2006 | Bakersfield | 21 | A+ | 114 | 457 | 81 | 130 | 31 | 2 | 13 | 72 | 15 | 9 | 35 | 89 | .284 | .331 | .446 | .777 |
| 2007 | Frisco | 22 | AA | 130 | 480 | 81 | 144 | 32 | 5 | 22 | 84 | 11 | 2 | 34 | 77 | .300 | .352 | .525 | .877 |
A smart, aggressive hitter with good line drive power from the right side of the plate, Duran has learned to stop pulling every pitch. Today he can drive outside pitches to the opposite field, while also using his high-speed, compact swing to turn on inside strikes. He's been compared to Placido Polanco, a solid high-average hitter who can play good defense and makes few mistakes.
Duran has good speed but he's not a burner. He should be good for 15-20 steals, and as he gets more conditioning, he'll be a benefit on the basepaths overall.
Defensively, he's probably best suited to second base, though he can also play short or third well enough to be a major leaguer. Of course, the hot young Texas infield (Kinsler, Davis, and soon Andrus) could keep him blocked out of an everyday gig. He's been working out in left field the last two seasons in order to increase his versatility, and he should see MLB action as a strong bench/utility option soon.
As he matures, he should grow into a full-time player, however, and if Texas has no room for him, they'll move him to a team that will give him everyday work.
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