Following a crushing Game 5 loss in the World Series, the New York Yankees will have to stare down another pivotal winter as Juan Soto headlines a class of free agents that features plenty of prominent members of the 2024 team. Among those are infielder Gleyber Torres, who became the team’s leadoff hitter down the stretch after a great August and September, helping to guide them to their first pennant since the 2009 season. It’s unclear whether the Yankees will be able to retain Torres, especially with the price they’ll have to pay to keep Soto, but they could have a low-cost option.
Currently playing in the Arizona Fall League, Caleb Durbin has picked up where he left off in Triple-A, and after finding a power surge in the second half, he could be the right man for the job at second base if the Yankees aren’t able to retain Gleyber Torres.
Caleb Durbin Might Be a Solution For the Yankees at 2B in 2025
One of the biggest misconceptions about Caleb Durbin is that he’s a slap hitter who relies on bat-to-ball skills to generate any kind of offense. That kind of hitter wouldn’t project very well for a Major League role, especially since those skills can lead to inflated OPS numbers in the Minor Leagues where the average defensive player is far worse than in the big leagues.
In 82 games at Triple-A this season, Durbin had a .184 ISO and .297 BABIP, displaying above-average game power while not relying on unsustainably high BABIPs to get on-base, a departure from the player he was when acquired from the Braves in 2023. The Yankees have found a way to take Durbin from a 20 grade game power tool to about a 45, which is still below-average, but it’s more than enough to float his excellent contact rates.
What’s also important to note is that Caleb Durbin has the highest ISO of this group, and entering a winter where the Yankees will have to determine whether he will remain unprotected on the 40-man roster or not, he could play a huge role on the 2025 team. He’s Rule 5 eligible, and given how the Yankees have talked about him dating back to Spring Training, there’s good reason to believe that they would roster him.
There’s not a ton of raw thump in Caleb Durbin’s profile, but his ability to pull the ball in the air and get it over the left field fence is a huge addition to his offensive skillset. He doesn’t strike out much, gets the ball in the air often, and makes relatively sound swing decisions as well. Durbin’s bat could be solid out of the gate thanks to the contact rates and plate discipline, which would potentially leave him less exposed to some of the issues most rookies have.
Furthermore, his defensive and baserunning value could allow him to be an above-average second baseman in 2025, which would give the Yankees cost-controlled production that could allow them to invest in other positions.
READ MORE: Yankees expected to make ‘competitive’ offer for generational outfielder
Caleb Durbin can play shortstop and third base, but he profiles better at second base, and the Yankees view him as a strong defensive infielder. He’s a surehanded fielder there who rarely makes errors which would improve the team’s infield defense and help them convert groundballs into outs, which is important considering the composition of their bullpen and farm system.
There are a lot of sinker-slider guys at the Major League and Minor League levels, and having an infield of Anthony Volpe, Jazz Chisholm, and Caleb Durbin could help the Yankees with their run prevention. On the basepaths, Durbin would be a massive help as well with his great steal and baserunning aggression, swiping 31 bases in 35 attempts across 90 MiLB games.
He’s already swiped 15 bases in 16 attempts in the AFL, looking to set the record for stolen bases in a single year in that league. The Yankees will have to make some concessions if they want to pay Juan Soto and improve the rest of the roster, and Durbin has a realistic chance of being a capable bottom-of-the-order presence for a championship-caliber team while accounting for less than $1 million toward the Luxury Tax as well.
The bullpen will need work, first base is a massive question mark, and there’s even a question about whether the team should add left field depth to ensure a position where rookie Jasson Dominguez is entrenched to at the moment. Money will be tight outside of Juan Soto, and if the Yankees want to make it back to the World Series once again, they’ll have to make improvements outside of retaining their 26-year-old star outfielder.
Caleb Durbin isn’t the kind of prospect whose ticketed for stardom, but he could be the kind of player that makes the difference in a series such as the one played this past week. A strong defender with excellent baserunning skills that has a feel for modern hitting with contact skills that could play in any era, Durbin presents a low-cost solution to a glaring issue at second base that Gleyber Torres’ free agency creates.