Should Yankees’ Prospect Caleb Durbin Be Gleyber Torres’ Replacement In 2025?
While the biggest story for the New York Yankees this offseason is signing Juan Soto to a lifetime contract, other holes must be filled in if the Bronx Bombers want to sniff another chance at a World Series title. With Gleyber Torres gone, and unlikely to be re-signed by New York, many question who should be the Yankees’ everyday second baseman.
Fans request that Jazz Chisholm Jr be placed at second base, as it is a comfortable position for him, while others opt to reach into the farm system and call up Triple-A prospect Caleb Durbin.
A Bittersweet Ending For Gleyber
Caleb Durbin is another young prospect that Yankees fans have been raving about, and more so throughout this offseason, with the Yankees potentially letting go of Gleyber Torres in 2025. The 24-year-old has been making waves with his potential readiness to get called up, and get the same treatment as Anthony Volpe did when he got called up in his rookie season in 2023.
This move would replace Gleyber Torres, who has spent his entire career in New York thus far. Torres was a fan favorite throughout his tenure, who showed much promise after his rookie season.
In 2018, Torres slashed .271/.340/.480 with 24 home runs, 117 hits, and 77 RBIs, which landed him third place in the AL Rookie Of The Year voting. Former teammate Miguel Andujar (2nd place) and 1st place winner Shohei Ohtani beat out Torres in the voting. Nonetheless, Torres showed promise, and the following season saw Torres improve from his rookie season in 2019, where he batted at a .278 average with a slugging percentage of .535.
Torres added 34 home runs, 152 hits, and 90 RBIs in his 2019 season, becoming a permanent fixture at second base, and looking to be an All-Star caliber player for years to come. Marred by injuries, Torres started to play poorly on the defensive end, and could not live up to the expectations placed on him. In 2021, Torres only had nine home runs and 51 RBIs on 119 hits, but he bounced back in 2022, where he slugged 24 home runs and added 76 RBIs.
Torres was more well-known for his critical performances in the postseason, which helped the Yankees get as far as they could throughout his tenure. In his six appearances in the postseason, Torres hit .267 with seven home runs, 46 hits, and 25 RBIs in 45 games. Torres’ tenure with the Yankees was remarkable, even with the defensive blunders and frustration that came with it, but it might be time for the Yankees to move on.
Let The Kid Play!
With the Yankees moving on from Gleyber Torres, as one of their ways of rebuilding the infield, they may look into the farm to pull up Caleb Durbin up to the big leagues. The 24-year-old prospect was added to the Yankees’ 40-man roster after being named the Arizona Fall League’s Breakout Prospect of the Year.
In 24 games played in the Fall League, Durbin slashed .312/.427/.548 with five home runs. Durbin also broke the AFL’s stolen base record by stealing 29 bases. The previous record was 24 stolen bases by Rick Holifield in 1994.
While Durbin won’t be churning out a 50/50 season like Shohei Ohtani, he will be an excellent prospect for the second base position, if the Yankees choose to utilize their farm system. Durbin has been impressive at the plate, only striking out five times throughout 112 plate appearances.
Some Glaring Issues With Caleb Durbin
The biggest concern for Durbin in his potential transition into the majors would be his exit velocity when he hits the ball. His average exit velocity is at 83.8 mph with an xwOBA of .280. In reference to a post by “Start Spreading The News Blog,” Durbin’s xwOBA and exit velocity in 2024 were similar to Anthony Volpe in 2024 (xwOBA .280, 87.8 mph exit velocity average), who struck out many times.
Where Durbin has an advantage, is his remarkable whiff percentage of 16%. Durbin’s swing can lift the ball enough to get into the gap, but there’s no surefire way to determine if those are just lucky bloops, or Durbin’s ability to put the ball in play.
Nevertheless, Durbin is a potential option for the Yankees if they are looking to upgrade their infield without breaking the bank. The Yankees will be all-in on Juan Soto, so it could raise concerns about their budget if a deal were to be made. Caleb Durbin might not have generational hitting power like Aaron Judge or Soto, or even hitting power like Gleyber Torres. Still, he could develop into a solid second baseman who can get on base at a high rate and be an efficient base stealer.
Only time will tell if the Yankees start picking from the farm in 2025 for their future second baseman. Yankees fans can believe that Caleb Durbin could develop into an everyday second baseman if he gets efficient playing time.