The Milwaukee Brewers are the first team in the 2026 World Series, waiting to discover their opponent while the Tampa Bay Rays and Cleveland Guardians fight it out in the ALCS. The Brewers' roster carries a few former Boston Red Sox who will get their chance at a ring this October.
Had the Brewers been in this position last year, new Red Sox fan favorite Caleb Durbin would've been four games from MLB's ultimate prize. He spoke to Alex Speier of The Boston Globe about seeing his former teammates so close to winning a World Series (subscription required). Durbin said it's "a little bittersweet," but continued.
"It’d be more bitter if I wasn’t super happy with where I was. I’m excited about being a part of the Red Sox and excited for our future to get to that point sooner rather than later," Durbin said.
Durbin mentioned that seeing his former teammates and friends celebrate and take champagne showers in series after series has made the Red Sox's early elimination easier — if World Series contenders had to be anyone, let them be friends. Maybe seeing his 2025 teammates succeed will inspire Durbin to have a better season next year. The former Rookie of the Year finalist struggled severely at the plate in the beginning of the season, but he finished the year with a .248/.332/.378 slash line after serving as one of the main catalysts for the Sox's 32-5 stretch.
Caleb Durbin (and Red Sox) should be motivated by the Brewers' World Series run
The Red Sox should be just as motivated after two consecutive Wild Card eliminations by the New York Yankees, and seeing many of its former players pull it together in other organizations should raise questions. Former Red Sox players, namely David Hamilton and Kyle Harrison, who went to the Brewers in the Durbin trade found everyday spots in the lineup there and delivered at different times. Hamilton has been an unexpected hero in the playoffs. Boston should be trying to determine why their traded players improve elsewhere.
There's a chance the Brewers go up against a division rival in the big dance, so many more Red Sox fans might join Durbin in rooting for them. Their style of play as a team of homegrown "underdogs" is admirable, and any team in this league could pull it off.
The Red Sox are no exception. And a highly motivated Durbin, who will hopefully be able to avoid a long, early-season adjustment period at the plate, could make a huge difference next season.
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