With hustle, Jarren Duran has doubled his output for Red Sox

Within seconds, data from high-speed cameras quantified how far and fast Duran sprinted to make the play and how improbable it was that he made the catch.

But what you couldn’t find on a database is that it was the first time in his career Duran took his eyes off a fly ball, ran to a spot, then picked it back up again before making the catch.

It’s something Duran had been working on with Sox outfield coach Kyle Hudson the last few weeks. That’s what made the catch particularly satisfying.

“The first thing was getting him to understand that with his speed, he can be an elite defender in this league,” Hudson said Tuesday. “The mental side is first and then you work on the fundamental stuff — first step, reactions, routes, taking your eyes off the ball.

“He has the confidence, that’s the biggest thing. That’s what led to that catch.”

Duran, who had a night off Tuesday when the Sox beat the the Twins, 10-4, fields fly balls at game speed in batting practice and does individual drills with Hudson. It’s part of his routine now.

Duran, 26, had three doubles against the Twins on Monday night, driving in two runs. Afterward, he told the small group of reporters that he has been using Justin Turner’s bats in recent days. He also broke two of the bats during the game, which led to some teasing from Turner.

It was an amusing little anecdote, typical postgame banter. But Duran was often uncomfortable dealing with the media last season, at times defensive about even innocuous questions.

Now it’s less of a chore and more of an exchange. That he is hitting – he went into Tuesday’s game hitting .300 with an .827 OPS through 55 games – is part of it, but not the only reason.

“It’s the evolution of a big-league player,” Sox manager Alex Cora said. “We’re very pleased with the energy he’s bringing . . . It’s been cool. It’s good to see.”

Hudson, 36, has played a big role in unlocking Duran’s talent.

The former major league outfielder coached three years with the Guardians before joining the Red Sox last winter as their first base coach and outfield instructor.

From across the field, Hudson saw Duran as a player with all the physical tools needed for success who needed refining. They opened a dialogue in the offseason.

“I was excited coming over here to work with a player like Jarren,” Hudson said. “I let him know it was time to go to work and that we’re going to prepare to play this game. That was one of my first messages.”

Along with the outfield play, Hudson has worked with Duran on being quick out of the batters’ box when he puts a ball in play so that his elite speed pressures the defense.

“You see all the hustle doubles,” Hudson said. “He puts himself in the position to take that extra base. The mentality is the biggest part of it.

“There are a lot of guys in this league who don’t take that mentality. They go down the line thinking about how they hit the ball. Jarren’s mind goes to, ‘Now I’m a base runner. Get to the next base.’”

Teammate Trevor Story told Duran in April he will have more hustle doubles once he returns from elbow surgery in the second half of the season. Duran is determined to have an insurmountable lead by then.

“We all know he’s really fast and really good, so I’m trying to capitalize on those hustle doubles now,” Duran said. “He told me I needed a head start.”

Duran laughed, something rarely heard last season. If enjoying the game and embracing the process of getting better could be measured, Duran would be among the league leaders.

“He’s a more mature kid; a more mature player,” Cora said. “Everything that we envisioned in the past, we’re getting that player now. He’s having a blast.”

Peter Abraham can be reached at peter.abraham@globe.com. Follow him on Twitter @PeteAbe.