At this point, Caleb Durbin's recent hot streak with the Boston Red Sox might be more than just that: it might be the sign of a legitimate turnaround.
The start of Durbin's Red Sox career was brutal at the plate. In his first 100 plate appearances, he hit .169 with one home run and 10 RBIs. He even got benched for Nick Sogard (remember him?) at one point. That's how bad it got.
Durbin was legitimately one of the worst hitters in the majors for a while, but he has since made some adjustments. And now, he isn't just a hitter on a hot streak. He's an actual asset to the Red Sox, and he's proving it on a nightly basis.
Caleb Durbin's offensive turnaround makes him a real asset to Boston
Since May 28, the Illinois native is hitting .304 with a .903 OPS, nine HRs, and 26 RBIs. He also hit the game-winning home run against the Baltimore Orioles on Jul. 20 to secure Boston's 14th consecutive win.
That was almost two months ago. That's not a small sample size, and it's an indication that his turnaround is real.
On top of that, Durbin has been a stellar fielder all season long. Among all AL third basemen, he ranks first in fielding% (.975), third in double plays turned (16), second in assists (170), and his 1.2 defensive WAR ranks eighth-best among all AL players.
Is Durbin going to be Boston's third baseman of the future? It's tough to say right now, but things are looking good. He finished third in NL Rookie of the Year voting with the Milwaukee Brewers last season for a reason, and it's more likely that his start to this season was a cold spout more than anything else (and, don't look now, but for all the WARheads out there, Durbin's 2.3 WAR is very close to Alex Bregman's 2.4 and is better than Rafael Devers' 1.8... just saying).
The Red Sox need Caleb Durbin to keep this momentum going
It's not just Durbin who is red-hot right now, the Red Sox as a whole are rolling.
Boston is winners of 14 straight and is third in the AL East standings (just 4.5 games behind the New York Yankees for the second spot and 6 games behind the Tampa Bay Rays for the division lead). The team also holds a 1.5-game lead over the Texas Rangers for the third and final AL Wild Card spot.
As it stands, it looks like the Red Sox may be primed for playoff baseball after all. But in order for that to happen (and for them to actually make some noise), they're going to need everybody to be on their A-game, and that includes Durbin.
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