Boston Red Sox Legend Praises Infielder for Dramatic Turnaround
· Yahoo Sports
BOSTON -- There is no team in baseball hotter than the Boston Red Sox, who are amidst the second-longest winning streak in franchise history right now. It's a streak that has taken the team from the basement of the American League to sole possession of the final playoff spot in the AL. There is plenty of credit to go around for the team's incredible turnaround, but 2004 World Series Champion Kevin Millar gave a lot of praise to third baseman Caleb Durbin.
What did Millar say?"He never strayed; during every struggle, he never strayed from playing the game hard," Millar said on MLB Network's Intentional Talk. "He has everything that the makeup of a Boston Red Sox player is about... impeccable defense, runs the bases well, does a lot of other things in the game to help this team win," he continued.
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An incredible turnaroundThrough the first two months of the season, Durbin was public enemy No. 1 for Red Sox fans, being seen as the replacement for not only Alex Bregman, who departed Boston in free agency, but also Rafael Devers, who was unceremoniously traded to San Francisco in June 2025. Through the first 52 games of the season, the 26-year-old was among the worst hitters in baseball, hitting just .182/.250/.280/.530 with a weighted runs created plus (wRC+) of 44, which ranked 160th of 160 qualified hitters.
Jul 20, 2026; Boston, Massachusetts, USA; Boston Red Sox third baseman Caleb Durbin (5) celebrates his home run against the Baltimore Orioles with second baseman Anthony Seigler (48) during the eighth inning at Fenway Park. Eric Canha-Imagn ImagesHowever much like the Red Sox as a whole, Durbin has completely turned around his season, becoming one of the Red Sox' most consistent hitters. In the 40 games he's appeared in since June 1, Durbin leads the team in batting average (.298), while trailing only Willson Contreras in on-base percentage (.355), slugging percentage (.539), and wRC+ (143). His wRC+ of 143 ranks 30th among 165 qualified hitters in baseball during that stretch.
In addition to being one of the best hitters in baseball, Durbin has also provided gold-glove defense at third base. In 774.1 innings at third base, the 26-year-old leads all American League third basemen in defensive runs saved (9), outs above average (4), and fielding run value (3), while ranking among the five best defenders at the position in all of baseball.
Durbin's season came to a crescendo on Monday night as he launched a go-ahead home run in the eighth inning of the Red Sox' win over the Baltimore Orioles to extend their winning streak to 14, the second-longest in franchise history.
Oct 2, 2016; Boston, MA, USA; Boston Red Sox designated hitter David Ortiz (34) gets a hug from former teammate Kevin Millar as part of pregame ceremonies in his honor before a game against the Toronto Blue Jays at Fenway Park. Bob DeChiara-Imagn ImagesAs someone who knows what it takes to become beloved in Boston, Millar is right; Durbin has all the tools that make for Red Sox legends. He plays the game hard, isn't afraid to get his pants dirty, and does all the little things that contribute to winning on a nightly basis. Now that the performance at the plate matches that intensity, he is quickly becoming the fan favorite that many predicted he would become after he was traded to Boston.
The Red Sox' pursuit of tying the franchise's long 15-game winning streak will have to wait another day, as game two of their three-game set with the Baltimore Orioles was postponed on Tuesday night. They'll make up for the postponement as part of a day-night doubleheader on Wednesday. First pitch for game one from Fenway Park is set for 1:35 p.m. ET.
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