Caleb Durbin Hints He Can Help Fix Red Sox's Biggest Problem

Good way to ingratiate yourself with a fan base...

Milwaukee Brewers third baseman Caleb Durbin (21) rounds first base after hitting a solo home run during the eighth inning of their game against the Arizona Diamondbacks Monday, August 25, 2025 at American Family Field in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. | Mark Hoffman/Milwaukee Journal Sentinel / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Caleb Durbin was a good ballplayer as a rookie with the Milwaukee Brewers, and he got better as the season went along. But his arrival didn't seem to address the Boston Red Sox's biggest problem.

There's almost no projected home run power on this Red Sox team, and Durbin, who hit 11 homers in 136 games last year, doesn't seem like a very certain fix. Meanwhile, the Red Sox have been on the receiving end of some wicked internet insults over the last 48 hours, after ZiPS projected them as the only team without a 20-homer bat this year.

But while we shouldn't put a specific number on how many long balls we think Durbin could hit, we should at least hold out hope that he can improve in the power category.

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Red Sox counting on Durbin to add power?

Aug 25, 2025; Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA; Milwaukee Brewers third base Caleb Durbin (21) hits a home run against the Arizona Diamondbacks in the eighth inning at American Family Field. Mandatory Credit: Michael McLoone-Imagn Images | Michael McLoone-Imagn Images

One of Durbin's strengths is pulling the ball in the air, a trait that will help him out a lot at Fenway Park. But he also needs to access more exit velocity to ensure balls get up and over the Green Monster, and he seems to know it.

“I think I’ve always been a good pull hitter,” Durbin said Wednesday, per Christopher Smith of MassLive. “And I obviously like to think that I can use the whole field. You want to be a complete hitter, but definitely something I’m looking forward to.”

Meanwhile, Durbin seems amenable to playing either third base or second, as the Red Sox try to juggle him and Marcelo Mayer, who mostly played at the hot corner in his own 44-game rookie sample.

“I played up the middle most of my life. Played short throughout college, second base mostly in the minors,” Durbin said, per Smith. “Started working third base a little bit later on in my career in the minor leagues, and then got a full season’s worth in the big leagues last year at third. So kind of got a good amount of experience at each position.”

Boston would need Durbin to hit perhaps double his home runs from last year to solve the problem just with his arrival. But we're still finding out the 25-year-old's ceiling, and it would be a great sign if he started hitting the ball harder than last year early in the spring.

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