Over the years, the Arizona Fall League has featured plenty of prospects who would go on to be stars at the Major League level. From Ronald Acuña Jr. to Nolan Arenado to Kris Bryant, the AFL always features plenty of top prospects who give teams a glimpse into the future of their roster.
Yankees Infield Prospect Could Break Major League Roster After Dazzling Fall
This year, one of the AFL’s most impressive performances came from Caleb Durbin, an infielder from the New York Yankees’ farm system. While regarded as one of the team’s more promising minor league infielders, few anticipated the 24-year-old to have as big a season as he did. Playing in 24 games for the Salt River Rafters, Durbin hit .312 with a .975 OPS and 5 homers. Most notably, though, he shattered the AFL record for most stolen bases in a season, swiping 29 bags on 30 attempts. The previous record, set in 1994 by Rick Holifield, was 24. For his accomplishments, he was deemed the AFL’s Breakout Prospect of the Year and selected as a “Fall Star”.
Durbin certainly put on quite a show this fall, but can he play and perform at the big-league level next season?
Need For Speed
The Yankees are, to put it simply, not a fast team. They ranked 24th in MLB in stolen bases with 88, with 28 of those coming from Anthony Volpe. They were also weighed down by the almost unbearable sluggishness of players like Giancarlo Stanton, Anthony Rizzo, and Jose Trevino. Even in the postseason, they added Duke Ellis, who has only 5 career big-league at-bats, to their ALDS roster just for a little haste on the base paths.
Enter Durbin. Not only does he provide invaluable speed, but he’s also not a liability at the plate or in the field (unlike many other stolen-base threats around the league). Durbin has a complete set of tools, and his flexibility between positions automatically makes him a viable option for the 2025 infield. Indeed, the Yankees think so since they added Durbin to their 40-man roster on Tuesday.
A “Big Role” Next Season
Durbin has received praise from both general manager Brian Cashman and manager Aaron Boone for his spectacular fall league performance. In fact, Boone has already dubbed him as a strong candidate to make the Yankees’ infield next season, saying to the press,
“I think he’s a stud, frankly. Great bat-to-ball [skill], has elite ability on the bases as a base stealer and is a good defender in the middle of the diamond at second base. He’s really started over the last year-plus to create some position flexibility, too.… Really competitive, kind of that hard-nosed, tough player. I’m excited for him. I think he’s going to play a big role for us this upcoming season.”
Specifically, Boone may be referencing the hole at second base that will arise if the team decides not to bring back Gleyber Torres. They have made little indication that Torres is a part of their plans for 2025 and beyond, so they very well may be viewing Durbin as the replacement for the Yankees’ longtime second baseman.
Can He Perform In The Bronx?
While his fall stat line is most impressive, Durbin still had a notable 2024 campaign. Playing 82 games for Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre, Durbin hit .287/.396/.471, racking up 10 home runs and 60 RBIs. He also notched 57 runs and 23 doubles, which were 4th and 2nd on the Railriders, respectively. And, of course, he stole 29 bases, getting caught a mere 3 times.
So, will his success at the Triple-A level translate to the big leagues? All signs so far point to yes, but as the Yankees saw with Ben Rice this past season, prospective success can be fleeting. Durbin may not even make it out of Spring Training, and he will certainly have to compete for a spot in the infield with his minor league contemporaries. Regardless of whether he’s on the team to start the year, Yankees fans and management have a lot to look forward to with Durbin, and he certainly has all the tools necessary to be a mainstay in the Bronx for years to come.
Main Photo Credits: Mike Watters-Imagn Images
