When the Milwaukee Brewers traded away star closer Devin Williams to the New York Yankees in December of 2024, Caleb Durbin was part of the Nestor Cortes-centered package that Milwaukee got in return.
Durbin turned out to be a fine acquisition for the Brewers, who saw him shine right away in his first season of playing in the big leagues. In the 2025 MLB campaign, Durbin hit .256/.334/.387 with 11 home runs and 53 RBIs along with 18 bases swiped in 136 games in Milwaukee uniform and finished third in the National League Rookie of the Year voting, behind winner Drake Baldwin of the Atlanta Braves and Cade Horton of the Chicago Cubs.
For Brewers manager Pat Murphy, he started to see Durbin’s great potential from way back.
“I love this kid. I watched him play in the Fall League,” Murphy said of Durbin, who will turn 26 years old in February (h/t MLB’s Arizona Fall League).
“ I never met him. Watched him play in the fall league couple of games & walked away saying, damn, I wish we could get that kid. Then we heard about him, and would love to have him. Love the kid.”
Brewers’ Durbin was a Fall League stud
During his stint with the Salt River Rafters in the Arizona Fall League in 2024, Durbin slashed .312/.427/.548 with five home runs and 21 RBIS to go with 17 walks and 29 stolen bases through 24 games (117 plate appearances).
The challenge now for Durbin is to elevate his game after shining and turning heads in his rookie campaign, when he helped the Brewers reach the National League Championship Series.
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