MILWAUKEE — Regardless of the outcomes of Nationwide League Rookie of the Yr Award balloting on Monday night time, Brewers third baseman Caleb Durbin thought-about 2025 a win.
“There’s a way of confidence,” Durbin mentioned throughout a telephone dialog final week. “It’s like, I do know I can do it.”
The 25-year-old infielder did it effectively sufficient to be named a finalist for the Baseball Writers’ Affiliation of America’s high rookie honor within the NL, alongside catcher Drake Baldwin of the Braves and right-hander Cade Horton of the Cubs.
Durbin discovered he’d made the highest three when MLB tagged him in a put up on Instagram, and it was an honor he didn’t see coming. The truth is, Durbin says, he wasn’t certain at season’s finish whether or not he was one of the best rookie on his personal staff, which additionally featured transformed infielder Isaac Collins having an enormous summer time in left subject, right-hander Chad Patrick quietly placing up one of the best FanGraphs WAR of any rookie pitcher on the NL aspect, and right-hander Jacob Misiorowski making the NL All-Star staff earlier than a second-half fade.
In contrast to Collins and Patrick, Durbin didn’t even make Milwaukee’s Opening Day roster. As a substitute, the membership went with Oliver Dunn and Vinny Capra at third base and waited till April 18 to summon Durbin from Triple-A Nashville for what longtime Brewers righty Freddy Peralta known as essentially the most thrilling Main League debut he’s witnessed.
Durbin delivered two hits in a victory over the A’s that night time and went on to stabilize third base, hitting .256/.334/.387 with 11 house runs and 60 RBIs. He ranked among the many NL’s rookie leaders in stolen bases (first, 18), runs (second, 60), hits (third, 114), doubles (third, 25), house runs (fourth, 11), whole bases (fourth, 172), RBIs (tied-fourth, 53) and extra-base hits (fifth, 36), and led your complete NL in hit-by-pitches with 24, one shy of the franchise report.
Whether or not or not he joined previous Brewers gamers to win Rookie of the Yr honors — Pat Listach (1992), Ryan Braun (2007) and Devin Williams (2020) — Durbin believes his efficiency will probably be a springboard into 2026.
“Going into your first season,” he mentioned, “there’s very a lot a way of, ‘I don’t know what to anticipate, however I’m prepared for something.’ Going into subsequent yr, it helps, as a result of I’ve realized from expertise and I can modify accordingly. I do know what I have to get higher at. I do know what I have to do on a everyday foundation to prepare. To start with, you are feeling like a fish out of water. Now you belief your self since you’ve been via it.”
Alongside the best way Durbin proved he may maintain down third base for a staff that prides itself on protection. That was the most important query that scouts had been asking after the Brewers, who had been set on the center infield positions with Brice Turang and Joey Ortiz, acquired Durbin and left-hander Nestor Cortes within the December 2024 commerce that despatched All-Star nearer Devin WIlliams to the Yankees.
So, Durbin spent Spring Coaching centered on protection on the scorching nook.
“I knew I wanted to get good fast,” he mentioned. “If I used to be going to play, that’s the place I used to be going to play, as a result of the center infield was stacked with Brice and Joey. These are two of one of the best defenders within the sport. So if I used to be going to have an opportunity to assist the staff, third base was going to be the spot it could be. In my thoughts, I wished to assault that with the whole lot I had.”
Durbin is trying ahead to attacking subsequent season with a wholesome throwing arm. He handled discomfort in his proper elbow down the stretch from a bone spur that required arthroscopic surgical procedure on Oct. 30. One week later, he already had a number of rounds of bodily remedy below his belt, and his stitches got here out Friday. He was planning to renew decrease physique exercises this week and expects to not be delayed in his preparation for 2026.
“It was a kind of issues that affected me extra in apply than within the sport,” Durbin mentioned. “By the point the sport got here round, I used to be free and able to go, and when the ball is hit to you within the sport, your thoughts is like, ‘Simply make the play.’ So that you’re not fearful about it. In apply is the place you are feeling it slightly bit extra.
“It simply nagged alongside, and by the top of the yr we actually needed to keep on high of it. Perhaps that arm felt slightly weaker. You needed to save your bullets.”
Chalk it up as a studying expertise throughout the longest yr of Durbin’s baseball life. He’s spent the previous weeks trying again on it.
“All of us felt prefer it ended too fast, however if you put the entire season in perspective, you’re undoubtedly pleased with the whole lot,” he mentioned. “Numerous groups don’t even make the postseason. However you type of battle that with the sensation, of, ‘Man, we had a pair extra weeks in us.’ …
“To play as much as my potential, get that basically good expertise, it’s one thing I’m going to have the ability to study from shifting ahead.”
