The Philadelphia Phillies generated an early spring storyline from their bullpen anchor as star closer Jhoan Duran made his first appearance in spring training 2026. The outing provided both an update on Duran’s velocity and a lighthearted moment that quickly gained traction across social media.
Duran appeared in the Phillies’ spring training matchup vs. Team Canada at BayCare Ballpark in Clearwater on Wednesday. The hard-throwing right-hander delivered a clean inning, allowing no hits while recording one strikeout.
That strikeout came against Team Canada outfielder Tyler O’Neill, who is preparing to represent his country in the upcoming World Baseball Classic. While the inning itself was efficient, radar-gun readings quickly caught the attention of fans monitoring Duran’s trademark velocity.
Statcast recorded Duran’s four-seam fastball averaging 97.7 mph during the outing. That figure sat roughly 2.9 mph below his 2025 average of 100.6 mph. His signature “splinker” pitch also registered slightly below its usual velocity, sitting around 95 mph.
NBC Sports Philadelphia later shared a clip from the broadcast on X, formerly Twitter, after speaking with the veteran closer about the readings and how he felt early in camp.
“My velo is a little down right. But it's because here is too HOT!”
"My velo is a little down right. But it's because here is too HOT!" 😂🔥
Jhoan Duran's not worried about his velocity right now in spring. pic.twitter.com/Ka0o0knICh
— NBC Sports Philadelphia (@NBCSPhilly) March 4, 2026
“You know, I may be ready as soon as the season’s starting, you know, because I feel good. More importantly, I feel healthy. My command is there, my pitches are there, so my velo is a little down right now.”
He emphasized that his focus remains on command and timing early in camp rather than reaching peak velocity during initial outings.
The lighthearted response helped ease early speculation surrounding the 28-year-old's velocity, as the Phillies continue taking a cautious approach with their closer during spring training. After dealing with an illness earlier in the offseason and early in camp, Duran is gradually building strength while focusing on command. Philadelphia expects his trademark triple-digit fastball to return as Opening Day approaches, with the bullpen anchor appearing healthy and on track to lead the back end again in 2026.
