Boston Red Sox newcomer Caleb Durbin finished No. 3 in National League MVP voting last season, so there’s no need to explain that he’s a multi-talented baseball player with a handful of characteristics that add to winning, both offensively and defensively.
But of all of Durbin’s attributes, one stands out: Durbin barely ever strikes out.
As The Athletic’s Ken Rosenthal pointed out on Monday, Durbin’s 9.9 percent strikeout rate was the fifth-lowest in Major League Baseball last season.
This quality of Durbin’s added immense value to a gritty Milwaukee Brewers lineup that made up for a perceived lack of talent by outworking opposing pitching staffs and playing hard-nosed baseball.
Naturally, the Red Sox are hoping that Durbin will inject some of that energy into Boston’s lineup in 2026, and there’s no reason to believe that he won’t.
In fact, there’s every reason to believe that the 26-year-old Durbin hasn’t approached his ceiling as a player, and will only improve at the plate in a Red Sox uniform.
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