Red Sox's Caleb Durbin Showing Signs Of Busting Early-Season Slump

What kind of player can the Sox expect moving forward?

Apr 27, 2026; Toronto, Ontario, CAN; Boston Red Sox thrid baseman Caleb Durbin (5) reacts after hitting an RBI single against the Toronto Blue Jays in the sixth inning at Rogers Centre. Mandatory Credit: Dan Hamilton-Imagn Images | Dan Hamilton-Imagn Images

Subpar offense has really been the story of the season for the Boston Red Sox so far, and one could easily make the case for Caleb Durbin as the team's most disappointing player.

Durbin got off to a horrific start, with a 0-for-18 line in his first six games with his new team. He hasn't been particularly good for any stretch of the season, be it three games or 10, but he's at least looked like a major league-caliber hitter of late.

The Red Sox built their lineup on top-to-bottom balance, rather than having superstars to carry the load. They need Durbin to break out, but fortunately, there have been breadcrumbs of late that such a breakout is forthcoming.

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Why Durbin's game is trending in the right direction

May 1, 2026; Boston, Massachusetts, USA; Boston Red Sox third baseman Boston Red Sox third baseman Caleb Durbin (5) bats against the Houston Astros during the fifth inning at Fenway Park. Mandatory Credit: Brian Fluharty-Imagn Images | Brian Fluharty-Imagn Images

Durbin's stat line throughout the season has been a slow burn. He got his batting average over .100, then over .150, but has yet to reach .200. It seemed like he might get going after a series in early April against his former team, the Milwaukee Brewers, but he's only hit .211 with a .619 OPS in the 27 games since that series began.

There have been positive signs of late, however. Durbin is in the league's eighth percentile for average exit velocity, but he hit four balls in the last two games over 95 mph off the barrel. His RBI double on Wednesday was 105.7 mph, his second-hardest hit ball of the season.

The Red Sox knew Durbin could square the ball up, but didn't necessarily have elite high-end exit velocities. They need him to start taking advantage of the Green Monster, and perhaps this homestand, which kicks off with a four-game weekend series against the Tampa Bay Rays, will be his opportunity to do so.

Durbin's defense and baserunning have been elite, and on Wednesday night, he was wreaking havoc against Detroit Tigers reliever Drew Anderson on the basepaths. He's in the 92nd percentile of outs above average, and the eye test agrees that he's been one of the best third basemen in the game with the glove.

One can see that Durbin is battling, and his at-bats have progressively gotten more competitive. He won't finish the season with a batting average below .200, but the quicker he breaks out and the hotter he gets, the more he raises his team's ceiling.