MVBrewers No. 8: Caleb Durbin Proves He Belongs in the Big Leagues
After Quinn Priester took the No. 7 spot in the MVBrewers rankings, the next man up is another newcomer who made a name for himself in a big way this season – Caleb Durbin. The rookie infielder earned the No. 8 spot thanks to a strong showing in the fan vote, pulling in 11 votes to edge out Abner Uribe, Chad Patrick, and Andrew Vaughn.
Durbin’s rise has been anything but conventional. Drafted in the 14th round out of Division III Washington University in St.
Louis by the Braves back in 2021, he didn’t come into pro ball with a ton of hype. But he’s been grinding ever since.
After being traded to the Yankees during the 2022-23 offseason, Durbin broke out in the Arizona Fall League with a record-setting 29 steals in just 24 games. That performance caught Milwaukee’s attention, and they acquired him – along with Nestor Cortes – in a deal that sent closer Devin Williams to New York.
Cortes never quite found his footing in Milwaukee, battling injuries before being shipped to San Diego. But Durbin?
He turned out to be a sneaky-good pickup. With the Brewers struggling to find stability at third base early in 2025 – the Oliver Dunn and Vinny Capra platoon just wasn’t getting it done – Durbin got the call from Triple-A Nashville and made his MLB debut.
And he didn’t just hold his own. Over 136 games, Durbin slashed .256/.334/.387 with 11 home runs, 53 RBIs, 60 runs scored, and 18 steals.
He posted 2.8 bWAR and 2.6 fWAR while playing steady defense at the hot corner. For a guy who wasn’t even on the radar a year ago, that’s a massive leap.
Durbin’s offensive profile is more about finesse than force. He’s not going to light up exit velocity leaderboards, but he makes consistent, quality contact and rarely gives away at-bats.
According to Baseball Savant, he ranked in the 95th percentile or higher in squared-up rate (33.3%), whiff rate (13.0%), and strikeout rate (9.9%). That’s elite bat-to-ball skill.
On the flip side, he sat in the bottom 10% in average exit velocity (85.2 mph), hard-hit rate (26.9%), and bat speed (67.9 mph). So no, he’s not mashing 450-foot bombs – but he’s not trying to.
He knows who he is as a hitter and plays to his strengths.
Defensively, Durbin was solid – not flashy, but reliable. His fielding metrics hovered around league average, and his speed (28.1 mph sprint speed) made him a plus on the bases. He’s the kind of player who’s always pressuring defenses, whether he’s legging out an infield hit or swiping a bag.
And then there’s the hit-by-pitch stat – a quirky but telling part of his game. Durbin got plunked 24 times in just 506 plate appearances, second-most in the majors behind Randy Arozarena.
His HBP rate was the fourth-highest among players with at least 100 plate appearances. Whether it’s crowding the plate or just having a knack for wearing one, Durbin showed he’s not afraid to take one for the team.
His signature moment came on June 7 – a walk-off homer against the Padres on the first pitch of the ninth inning. He launched it into the Brewers’ bullpen in left-center, capping off a 4-3 win and giving fans a glimpse of his clutch gene. It was one of those moments that sticks with you – the kind that makes a rookie feel like a veteran.
Durbin also showed up in the postseason, one of the few bright spots in Milwaukee’s offense during their NLCS sweep at the hands of the Dodgers. In 33 plate appearances, he hit .276/.364/.414 with a pair of doubles, a triple, two RBIs, three runs scored, and three steals. Alongside Jackson Chourio, he brought some much-needed energy to a lineup that struggled to get going.
Bottom line: Caleb Durbin showed he belongs. He’s not the biggest name, and he’s not going to lead the league in homers, but he’s the kind of player every winning team needs – gritty, smart, and reliable. For a team looking to build a sustainable contender, Durbin looks like a piece worth keeping around.
We’ll keep the MVBrewers countdown rolling on Friday with the No. 9 player.
