Behind the unfathomable turnaround that shot the Boston Red Sox from the basement of the American League to near guaranteed playoff contention in just over one month, there are some incredible individual storylines. Caleb Durbin's is among the best of them.
The third baseman arrived in Boston fresh off a Milwaukee Brewers debut that earned him National League Rookie of the Year finalist status. It took Durbin over two months to find himself at the plate, but when he did, there was no stopping him. His slash line jumped from .190/.250/.307 on June 16 to .251/.322/.408 on August 6.
That timeline aligns closely with the Red Sox's breakout as a team. They swept the New York Yankees in four games from June 25-28, then took off on a 15-game winning streak beginning on July 3, then continued playing well enough to go 35-5 in 40 games.
In the last weeks of August and into September, Durbin has looked more like his early-season self at the plate, but with more walks in the mix. He's slashing .188/.316/.188 in his last 15 games (as of September 4). In that time, the Red Sox won series against the Arizona Diamondbacks, San Francisco Giants and Miami Marlins, but they've also lost to the Yankees and Seattle Mariners, losing six of their last nine games.
Red Sox's struggles during Caleb Durbin's offensive slump show just how important he is to their success
Durbin was a spark plug during Boston's dominant stretch, but as he's cooled down, the team has gone with him. Of course, other things have happened since Durbin's mini-slump, including some ugly pitching and the beginning of an injured list stint for Willson Contreras, but the timeline of Durbin's rise and decline can't be ignored.
Durbin at least contributes in other ways while he's struggling at the plate. His defense has been stellar all year and he's continued his elite fielding even as he's faltered offensively.
Slumps are part of the marathon that is baseball season — Contreras and Wilyer Abreu, two of the Red Sox's best bats, have also gone through rough stretches this year, as have many others. But since the Red Sox seemingly go as Durbin goes, they need him to get back on track.
At least Durbin is still getting on base during his rough hitting streak. He's taken six walks in his last seven games after it took him 18 games to log that number earlier this season. Still, the Red Sox and Durbin need to determine whether he's simply struggling or if the league has caught on to his offensive adjustments. Durbin must be at his best during the playoff chase, especially since the team seems to feed off his success.
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