Caleb Durbin hasn't just turned things around after a disastrous start to his Boston Red Sox tenure -- he actually looks like a legitimate franchise cornerstone.
Boston acquired Durbin, who finished third in Rookie of the Year voting with the Milwaukee Brewers last year, this past offseason to replace Alex Bregman. And to say things didn't start off on a good note would be putting it lightly.
He batted .169 with one home run and 10 RBIs in his first 100 plate appearances, and it even got to the point that the Red Sox opted to start Nick Sogard over him.
However, the Illinois native has found his rhythm (and made some key adjustments). And now? He looks like the player the Red Sox were hoping he would be... and then some.
Caleb Durbin looks like a legitimate asset in Boston
Since the start of June, Durbin is batting .324 with five home runs and 10 RBIs in 20 games. He has also recorded three stolen bases and has struck out just eight times in 73 plate appearances.
It remains to be seen if this is just a hot streak or if Durbin is actually turning the corner. But it's tough to deny how good he's looked recently (and, to be fair, one month isn't a super small sample size). He's looked like Boston's best hitter at times (which might actually not be saying much), and he's giving fans reasons to be excited about his long-term outlook with the team.
Durbin is still only 26 years old and has a ton of time to improve his game. He's figuring it out at the plate, but he was already an elite defensive third baseman, which is what makes his fit in Boston even more intriguing.
About halfway through the season, these are Durbin's ranks among AL third basemen: first in fielding% (.977), third in double plays turned (10), second in assists (124), and fourth in putouts (49).
The apologies to Caleb Durbin should be as loud as the disrespect
Red Sox fans were bashing Durbin at every given opportunity (though some of it was warranted) because of how poorly he played at the beginning of this season.
It might not necessarily be the time for even his diehard supporters to run their victory laps, but it's becoming increasingly clear that the Durbin we saw at the beginning of the season isn't the real him.
This is only his second season in the majors. It's also his first one in a legitimately big sports market. He was never going to become the next Wade Boggs or Rafael Devers (too soon?) overnight. It was always going to take time for him to find his footing in Boston. And now that he has, the sky is the limit for where he can go from here.
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