Jul 11, 2025; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; Minnesota Twins closer, Jhoan Duran (59) enters the game against the Pittsburgh Pirates in the ninth inning at Target Field. Mandatory Credit: Matt Blewett-Imagn Images
For the past two years, the Phillies have tried to have a fun and exciting entrance for whoever has closed games for them.
Basically, there were a lot of blinking lights for whoever was coming out of the bullpen in the ninth inning, and depending on the guy who was closing - Craig Kimbrel, Jose Alvarado, Jeff Hoffman, Carlos Estevez, Jordan Romano, Orion Kerkering, or Matt Strahm - there would be accompanying entrance music related to whomever was holding down the role.
It wasn't anything special. It got a few oohs and ahhhs for a couple seconds, and then things died back down.
That's all about to change.
When the Phillies traded for Minnesota Twins closer Jhoan Duran on Wednesday, there was another acquisition as part of the same deal - his entrance light show and music.
Jhoan Duran speaks to the media for the first time as a member of the Philadelphia Phillies. (Credit: Grace Del Pizzo, for On Pattison)
"They called me and asked me for it," Duran said of the Phillies game presentation folks. "They asked me if I wanted it here too and I said, 'Yes. Why not?'"
Inspired by the kinds of entrances usually reserved for WWE superstars, Duran's entrance is a full-on production.
It starts brilliantly - with an homage to the famous WWE wrestler the Undertaker - as the slow, but loud gonging of the bell begins.
It lasts for more than 20 seconds, while fans are instructed to take out their phones and turn on the flashlight.
As fans do, and the bullpen door opens, the stadium lights go out, leaving the only illumination coming from the fans phones.
And then things really ramp up.
The music - a mashup of "El Incomprendido" by Farruko and "Hot" by Pitbull and Daddy Yankee - blasts through the speakers. The LED screens around the stadium start pulsating with Flames surrounding his name. In the middle is a Phillies logo with some giant spiders crawling out from behind it.
"They started calling me 'Durantula' [in Minnesota]," Duran said. He indicated that a trainer started calling him that because former Minnesota Timberwolves star Kevin Durant had the same nickname. "They started putting it in the stadium and the light show. I started putting it on my shoes and everywhere. I like it. It's good."
Jhoan Duran has spider cleats. He said they called him Durantulla in Minnesota and he liked that. 🕷️@TarynNBCS has cool shoes too. pic.twitter.com/zhRbi4iwHo
He even has a tattoo of a tarantula.
It's one thing to have an entrance like that in Minnesota. But it's likely going to be a whole different experience to do that in Philadelphia. Citizens Bank Park rocks as it is, with more than 40,000 fans bringing it on a nightly basis, but imagine that whole experience for a playoff game in Red October.
Now think what Duran must be anticipating for that here.
"I can't explain that," Duran said. "Right now, I can see the fire around the stadium, so I want to see what it's like when a lot of people are in here."
Having a true, lights out closer is something the Phillies haven't had in quite some time. It's been the missing piece, in many ways, in the last three playoff runs. Sure, the bats went cold too, but if they had a real closer, maybe they don't lose games in Arizona in 2023. Maybe Francisco Lindor doesn't hit that grand slam in Citi Field in 2024. Who knows?
But now, for the first time, Rob Thomson has a true ninth inning guy - and admitted already that's how he plans to use him.
"He's really good. I mean, he's one of the best in the game if not the best," Thomson said.
Heck, Thomson was so impressed with him, that he willingly gave up his uniform number for Duran.
Rob Thomson said the only person upset he gave up his No. 59 to Jhoan Duran is his wife, who has to now get updated merch 😂
(Via @TimKellySports) pic.twitter.com/fZaQPTshOt
"After the game (in Chicago on Wednesday) I called him and we were chit chatting," Thomson said. "I said, 'The numbers really don't mean much to me, but if it makes you feel better, I'm all in.' He said, 'Well, you know...' I said, 'It's yours.'"
Duran has grown to have a real affinity for the number, which was just a number the Twins assigned to him when he was a rookie.
"My wife was almost crying," Duran said.
He then said when Phillies Director of Clubhouse Services told him that No. 59 belonged to Thomson, Duran had one word response.
"Damn," he said.
But then when Thomson said he would give Duran his number, it was like a weight off Duran's shoulders.
Jhoan Duran to @AntSanPhilly on what it meant for Rob Thomson to give up No. 59 so he could have it: “My wife almost cried.” pic.twitter.com/jg4Vdn10d3
"That was a big thing for me," Duran said. "I got everything with that number. In the Dominican (Republic) I have a house with a pool, and in the pool I put that number, too. I got that number everywhere. It's special to me."
For the record, Thomson is switching to No. 49 in honor of his close friend and former New York Yankees pitcher and pitching coach, Ron Guidry.
Guidry was nicknamed "Louisiana Lightning" because he threw hard. But, he never threw as Hard as Duran.
Duran's fastball is averaging 100.4 MPH this season. That's actually down a tick from what he's averaged before. He has thrown a fastball up to 105MPH before. He also throws a splinker at 97MPH.
A splinker is basically a two-seamer with a bit of a splitter grip. And it's nasty.
And if it does what it's supposed to do, it won't be long before a lot of people are wearing No. 59 jerseys in the stands.
Except for one person who isn't too thrilled with this jersey swap by Thomson.
"The only one that's upset at this point is my wife," said Thomson. "All of her merchandise has No. 59. We got to go and buy her new stuff."
