If the New York Yankees do move on from Gleyber Torres after this season, they may have a very interesting option in-house to replace him in 2025.
Heading into the MLB games today, the Yankees are the talk of the sport. They are first in a tough American League East and are tied for the best record in baseball. What makes their impressive start all the more amazing is that they are now just hitting all cylinders as a team and ace Gerrit Cole still hasn’t even played yet this season.
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While this has been a very fun season for the roster, for one player in particular this could be his last. After seeming like a future star after a pair of All-Star appearances in his first two seasons, Gleyber Torres has settled into a role as a gifted but very flawed power-hitting second baseman.
Barring an absurd finish to the season, the organization is unlikely to re-sign him and could even trade him before July 30. Which begs the question, who could replace the seven-year veteran? While most assume it could be a player from outside or even highly-touted prospect Jorbit Vivas, they may have another option in the organization that is similar to Red Sox great Dustin Pedroia.
On Tuesday, NJ.com reported on intriguing second base prospect Caleb Durbin. For Triple-A affiliate Scranton/Wilkes Barre, the shortstop is batting.299, has a very nice .871 OPS, and 20 stolen bags in 47 games. However, what makes the strong defensive player a fascinating prospect is his unique intangibles and uncanny passion to reach the big leagues.
- Caleb Durbin stats (2024): .299 AVG, .413 OBP, .871 OPS, 3 HR, 36 RBI, 20 SB, 34 R
“He’s a classic Dustin Pedroia-type story. Chip on his shoulder, competitive, plays and works unbelievably hard, has an unwavering confidence in himself and his own abilities and what he can accomplish, former college teammate and current St. Louis Cardinals pitcher Ryan Loutos told the outlet. “He’s an undersized guy proving people wrong.”
Durbin put up outstanding numbers at Washington University and was the first player drafted from the school this century when the Atlanta Braves took him in Round 14 of the 2021 MLB Draft. He earned minor league All-Star honors in 2023, has a great eye at the plate, and already has a fan in Yankees skipped Aaron Boone.
“I think he’s going to have a long big-league career, I really do,” he told NJ.com. “He’s a winning player. I’m a big fan of his.”
Caleb Durbin is currently ranked 27th in the team’s minor league system on Baseball America.
