The Boston Red Sox are 6-4 since interim manager Chad Tracy and his new coaching staff took over for Alex Cora, partially due to significant offensive improvements in that time.
A notable part of Boston's recent offensive success has been a drastic turnaround from Caleb Durbin. The third baseman got off to quite a rough start in a Red Sox uniform and he batted .141/.230/.205 through April 23. But in the past two weeks, Durbin has begun to look more like his 2025 Rookie of the Year finalist-self.
Durbin has at least one hit in eight of the last 11 games he's started and he's batting .250/.318/.375 in that span, dating back to April 24. He also has six RBI, four stolen bases, a double, and he's walked four times since then.
Boston trusted Durbin to play throughout his early slump because he was making better swing decisions than many of the rest of his teammates. His whiff rate so far is only 14.1, which ranks in the 98th percentile, and his 13.7 strikeout rate ranks in the 89th percentile. Finally, his good eye is beginning to pay off with better luck.
In the last two weeks, Caleb Durbin has been finding his 2025 self with the Red Sox
The 26-year-old's emergence at the plate has helped the Red Sox's lineup feel quite a bit longer than it did at the beginning of the season. Through nearly the entire first month, Durbin was close to an automatic out and his struggles often stopped the team from stringing enough hits together to plate runs, at which Boston desperately needs to succeed since there's very little pop in the lineup.
In the last two weeks, Durbin has begun approaching his production during his rookie season with the Milwaukee Brewers. He batted .256/.334/.387 with 50 strikeouts,30 walks and 18 stolen bases over 136 games last year.
Durbin's presence at the plate is finally beginning to match up with the top tier defense he's played. His two outs above average rank in the 91st percentile among third basemen and he ranks second in the league with six defensive runs saved (behind San Francisco Giants Platinum Glover Matt Chapman).
Durbin is slowly but surely growing into the solid all-around player the Red Sox were looking for when they traded for him. The Brewers and Kyle Harrison are still on the better end of the deal, but continued production from Durbin will even the playing field.
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