When the Boston Red Sox brass met with the media following the Wild Card round sweep at the hands of the New York Yankees for the annual end-of-season press conference, Chief Baseball Officer Craig Breslow spent a lot of time talking about players taking steps forward to help bolster one of baseball's worst offenses. Among the players Breslow mentioned as having another level to reach is third baseman Caleb Durbin, who had a solid first year in a Red Sox uniform, but how much more room does Durbin have to grow?

When the Red Sox acquired Durbin from the Milwaukee Brewers at the start of spring training, they hoped to fit him into their hitting infrastructure, which emphasizes right-handed hitters getting the ball in the air to the pull side to maximize the Green Monster in left field. However, those changes to Durbin's approach didn't mesh well with the player, and he struggled mightily to start the season, hitting just. 183/.250/.280/.530 in his first 52 games. During that stretch, the 26-year-old ranked among the bottom five of 160 qualified hitters in baseball in batting average (158th), on-base percentage (160th), slugging percentage (157th), OPS (159th), and weighted runs created plus (46, 159th).

However, after seeking help from an outside hitting coach, Durbin returned to the approach that made him successful in his rookie season in Milwaukee. From June 1 to Aug. 18, Durbin hit .309/.381/.496/.876, helping power the Red Sox offense to the 32-5 stretch that propelled them into the postseason.

However, as the season wore on, Durbin started to feel the effects of a left pinky dislocation suffered first in Boston's series in Colorado in late June and then again throughout the summer. In the final 34 games of the regular season, Durbin hit just .213/.346/.269/.615 with only four extra-base hits.

Overall, Durbin posted a solid sophomore season, hitting .248/.332/.378/.710 with 25 doubles, 13 home runs, driving in 64 runs, while adding in Gold Glove defense at the hot corner in 153 games. 

Given how far he had to come to dig himself out of the hole his early-season struggles put him in, and how the injury hampered the final month and a half of the season, it's fair to assume Durbin's 2027 season will be better and more consistent. However, the Red Sox have a massive need for power in their lineup, and little under-the-hood evidence points to a power surge for the 5-foot-6, 183-pound infielder. 

Durbin finished the season in the 15th percentile or lower in quality of contact (.291 xWOBA, 13th-percentile), expected slugging percentage (.316, 4th-percentile), average exit velocity (83.1 mph, 1st-percentile), barrel percentage (2.7 percent, 7th-percentile), hard hit rate (25 percent, 4th-percentile) and bat speed (69.2 mph, 13th-percentile). 

While a healthier, more consistent season from Durbin could raise his home run total from 13 in 2026 to 15-16, it's unlikely he'll take enough of a step forward to offset the lack of pop in the lineup. 

Whether Durbin takes a step forward in 2027 or not, the Red Sox lineup needs outside additions to truly become a World Series contender. 

Looking for more on the Red Sox needs heading into the offseason? Zach Coe and David Azer are back on the 'Entering Kenmore' Podcast discussing how close Boston is to winning a World Series, whether the 2026 season was a success, and whether fans should have faith in Craig Breslow's ability to build a World Series contender. Check it out wherever you get your podcasts, or in the YouTube player below: