While Durbin lost to Atlanta Braves rookie Drake Baldwin, his play, along with three other teammates, was enough to warrant attention from voters.
Milwaukee Brewers rookie third baseman Caleb Durbin proved that he could play in the big leagues, helping the Brewers reach the MLB postseason party in 2025. Now, the team hopes that Durbin can build on that progress heading into next season.
For his efforts, Durbin was one of four Milwaukee rookies to receive votes in the National League Rookie of the Year competition. Atlanta Braves star rookie catcherDrake Baldwin took home the trophy as the winner was announced on Monday.
Durbin finished behind Baldwin and Chicago Cubs right-handed pitcher Cade Horton in the voting. Other Brewers receiving votes included outfielder Isaac Collins and RHPs Chad Patrick and Jacob Misiorowski.
Patrick and Misiorowski played key roles in helping the Brewers defeat the Chicago Cubs in the National League Division Series. But Milwaukee's youth wasn't able to overcome the eventual World Series-winning Los Angeles Dodgers in the National League Championship Series.
Durbin was called up to the big leagues on April 18. After a slow start, Durbin ended up putting together a slash line of .256/.334/.387 with 11 home runs and 18 stolen bases. How did Durbin really turn it around for Milwaukee? In his last 106 games, Durbin hit .278. He's not going anywhere next season and will, once again, hold down the "Hot Corner" for the Brewers.
For Collins, he even found himself starting in left field regularly for the Brewers. He put together a nifty .263 batting average and an OPS of .779 over 130 games of play.
Patrick, according to a story from the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, made 27 appearances for Milwaukee last season. Patrick started 23 of those games and helped become a fixture in the Brewers' starting rotation. Patrick put up an impressive 3.53 ERA with 127 strikeouts in 119 2/3 innings.
Misiorowski was a postseason star for the Brewers, winning two games out of Milwaukee's three NLDS wins. He finished, though, with a 4.36 ERA.
With a crop of young players here returning next season, don't be surprised if a couple of these rookies end up making even bigger contributions on the field.