Keefe To The City: Chat With Yankees' Matt Duran
By Neil Keefe
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The Yankees selected third baseman Matt Duran in the fourth round with the 149th pick in last week's draft. Duran, a New Rochelle native and Fordham recruit, hit .580 (29-for-50) this year with 10 home runs, 41 RBIs, 36 runs scored, eight doubles and 31 walks. The New Rochelle High School standout had an incredible .750 on-base percentage and struck out only once.
I spoke with Duran for a podcast to find out more about the Yankees' new local kid and asked him to describe himself as an offensive player.
"I'm going to hit for average. I've got some pop in my bat," Duran said. "I just gotta adjust to the pitching and keep taking my swings and we'll see how it goes from there."
Duran plays both shortstop and third base, but was selected as a third baseman and will focus on that position going forward.
"Defense wise, my range has improved a lot, but you know it can always get better," he said. "I'm ready to take some ground balls and get to work.
Duran is still unsure if he will attend and play baseball at Fordham starting next year or if he will sign with the Yankees, his favorite team.
"I'm not 100 percent sure yet. We're still talking about that as a family. There's going to be a lot of factors, but right now I'm glad to be a Yankee."
For the entire interview, click the links below.
