Caleb Durbin wraps memorable rookie campaign with fitting award nomination

One of the trademarks of the Milwaukee Brewers' NL Central three-peat has been their reliance on young talent. With players like Brice Turang, Sal Frelick, and Abner Uribe debuting in 2023 and Jackson Chourio and Tobias Myers following them with impressive rookie campaigns in 2024, the Brewers' roster is filled with players just beginning their MLB careers.

In 2025, four Brewers rookies made a significant impression on the Milwaukee faithful, debuting with seasons that were integral to the team's record-breaking year. Isaac Collins, Jacob Misiorowski, Chad Patrick, and Caleb Durbin each had rookie campaigns to remember, with the former two earning NL Rookie of the Month Awards at various points throughout the season. Patrick was a necessary piece to the Brewers’ early season water-treading, stepping up when several of the team’s starting pitchers were out with injuries. He also put together an impressive postseason, allowing just two earned runs in nine innings of relief work. Speaking of strong postseason performances, Durbin had the steadiest season, with the highest bWAR (2.9) of the bunch to prove it.

At various points throughout the season, all four of the Brewers' rookies listed above were rumored to be NL Rookie of the Year candidates. In early June, it was Patrick and his sub-3.00 ERA who Brewers fans believed would be a shoo-in for the award. Then the Miz fever took over Milwaukee, and fans thought Misiorowski would not only follow Paul Skenes’ footsteps by making the All-Star Game in his rookie season, but also by taking home the Rookie of the Year Award. Then, after strong months in June and July and a strong start to August, Collins took the lead as the most likely Brewers to represent the team in the end-of-the-season rookie award voting.

However, at the end of the season, as Brewers fans and the Baseball Writers Association of America look back on the 2025 season, it's Durbin who clearly put together the most complete rookie season, and he's the one who earns the nod as a finalist for the NL Rookie of the Year Award.

Caleb Durbin named a finalist for the 2025 NL Rookie of the Year Award

Durbin wasn’t a part of the Brewers' Opening Day squad. Despite several expecting the top prospect, who came to Milwaukee from the New York Yankees in the Devin Williams deal, to be the team's Opening Day third baseman, Durbin began the season in Triple-A with the Nashville Sounds. That lasted about as long as expected, and Durbin was up with the big-league squad on April 18.

His debut was a memorable one; he collected two scrappy singles, affected the game on the basepaths, and displayed some impressive defense at third base. A brief period of adjustment in late April and early May was met by a much longer period of steady success that led Durbin to an everyday role before the halfway point of the season.

In the end, Durbin finished with a slash line of .256/.334/.387 that disproved just about every preseason projection. His 11 HR and 25 doubles in 136 games quieted many of the concerns about Durbin's power, and his 18 stolen bases were enough to keep critics quiet about his lack of impact on the basepaths.

Additionally, despite being a shortstop in college and playing a majority of his minor league innings at second base, Durbin collected an above-average five defensive runs saved (DRS) and two outs above average (OAA) in 2025. For reference, Brice Turang, who was a Gold Glove finalist for the second consecutive season this year, collected 7 DRS and -2 OAA in 2025.

Durbin beats out Miami Marlins rookies Agustín Ramírez and Jakob Marsee, Chicago Cubs' rookie Matt Shaw, and his fellow Brewers rookie to be named a finalist for the 2025 NL Rookie of the Year Award. He faces an uphill battle in terms of taking home the honor, with Wisconsin-native Drake Baldwin of the Atlanta Braves and Cubs' start Cade Horton also being finalists. The honor nevertheless confirms what Brewers fans witnessed all season: Caleb Durbin is a darn good ballplayer.