Yankees’ exciting infield prospect flashes skills in AFL Fall Stars Game

With Gleyber Torres hitting free agency, the have a void at second base that they'll need to either fill internally or externally. Caleb Durbin , an infielder they acquired from the Braves two years ago, is among those the organization is considering for an Opening Day job. While an external upgrade isn't out of the picture, their needs in the infield and outfield raise the question of whether they can use financial capital to address each position. Durbin could be a cost-effective solution to their second base problem, and he boosted his stock further last night.

Playing in the Arizona Fall League Fall Stars Game, Caleb Durbin went 2-3 with a walk, two RBIs, and a steal, showing off his excellent bat-to-ball skills and speed in the American League's 6-5 win. The Yankees had a speed problem last season, and the 25-year-old infielder could be part of a solution in that area in 2025.

Caleb Durbin Keeps Giving the Yankees Reasons to Start Him

The Yankees have to be impressed with the performance they've seen from Caleb Durbin in the Arizona Fall League, as while the high run environment contributes to his high OPS, his excellent bat-to-ball skills and speed have still been far superior to his peers. Durbin has 23 steals in 21 games, 24 in 22 if you count his stolen base from last night's Fall Stars Game, and his ability to terrorize defenses on the basepaths is quite impressive.

Across 159 MiLB games with the Yankees over the past two seasons, Durbin has 67 stolen bases in 79 attempts, an 84.8% success rate on insanely high volume. Having someone who not only has the speed but also has the baserunning aggression to take an extra base and swipe a bag is huge for an offense, as the Yankees have lost their ability to run the bases well over recent years.

No team has a worse BsR than the Yankees since 2021 (-38.4) and the highest they've finished in team Sprint Speed over that stretch was 25th, which occurred in 2021.

One player alone can't take a team from firmly below-average to one of the best in terms of baserunning, but it can give a team another threat to run at all times. Aggressive baserunning has its drawbacks, but it can also spark rallies and create run-scoring opportunities, and if Caleb Durbin can provide the baserunning value that he's brought to the table throughout the Minor Leagues, he could be a real weapon for the Yankees' offense.

He pairs his excellent speed with brilliant bat-to-ball skills, having the fourth-lowest strikeout rate for any MiLB hitter over the past two seasons (min. 600 PAs). With more walks than strikeouts since joining the Yankees' organization, Durbin's strikeout rate should project to be one of the lowest among Major League hitters even in what would be his rookie season in 2025.

That being said, putting the ball in play isn't enough for that skill to be valuable as displayed by Alex Verdugo, DJ LeMahieu, and Anthony Rizzo last season who had excellent strikeout rates but were firmly below-average hitters in 2024. An impressive stride in Caleb Durbin's game has been the reduction of his groundball rate to try and get more contact in the air to left field, which has resulted in a spike in his SLG%.

Ranking in the 88th Percentile in Pulled Flyball Rate, things clicked for Durbin down the stretch when he hit seven home runs in just 35 games, and he's hit four more in the AFL.

Furthermore, the defensive value that Caleb Durbin brings allows him to provide value to a team even when he isn't hitting. He's an excellent defensive second baseman and has the skills to play shortstop and third base as well. The Yankees have even thrown him out in centerfield, where he could see some time in 2025 if he truly develops his defensive abilities out there.

The Yankees have a talented ballplayer in Caleb Durbin, and the question now becomes whether his power can translate to the highest level or not.