Caleb Durbin’s breakout could save the Red Sox from another major roster mistake

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So far this season, the Boston Red Sox have been embarrassing. They are 12 games under .500, with a record of 27-39. They’re still only 5.5 games behind the last slot in the AL Wild Card, but their window is getting smaller each day.

However, some good things have been happening as of late, making future seasons look just a bit brighter. One of those things is the explosion of Caleb Durbin, the NL ROTY finalist Boston traded for to replace Alex Bregman. He was already warming up, but now he’s on fire.

Durbin’s offense was quite pitiful

When Bregman left in free agency, the Red Sox were in a mad scramble to find someone to replace him. Boston had already traded their franchise third baseman in Rafael Devers, as they believed Bregman was their man of the future,

Durbin was acquired to replace Bregman, and it seemed like knowing that was affecting his game. He started off the year horribly, as through his first 45 games, he was slashing .168 with just one home run off of a position player.

His defense was amazing, but his bat was almost a guaranteed out every time. And, given who he was replacing, it seemed like the Red Sox had made a gigantic mistake.

Durbin’s turned over a new leaf

However, in the past 15 games, something has clicked for Durbin. He’s slashed .313/.320/.583/.903 with five doubles, a triple, two home runs, 10 RBI, and has a wRC+ of 139.

This is most likely attributed to him stepping away from the Sox’s hitting strategy, and going to work with a third party hitting instructor, Gradum Gswing. After doing drills with them, the uptick started.

Durbin’s becoming irreplaceable

If this hitting streak continues for Durbin, along with his elite defense, the Sox can not let him go. A year or two from now, he could be one of the cornerstones of the franchise.

Durbin’s now brought up his season averages to .204/.264/.330/.594, with 13 doubles, a triple, three home runs, and 35 RBI in 60 games. While they still seem bad, keep in mind he was much, much worse for most of the season.

Combine that uptick with his multiple years of team control, and the Red Sox will have a solid third baseman for years to come.

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