"Usually when a team does something well and gets all the way to the World Series, other clubs will try to imitate that winning formula. Such is the case with the Boston Red Sox and their offseason plans in trying to play copycat to the Toronto Blue Jays. Their latest move, trading for Caleb Durbin, is once again indicative of the team trying to be more "contact focused" with their lineup in 2026."
"For starters, Durbin certainly gives the Red Sox a nice player to help with their infield compliment, especially after losing Alex Bregman to the Chicago Cubs in free agency. The right handed hitting Durbin made his MLB debut last year with the Milwaukee Brewers and hit .256/.334/.387, with a 2.3 fWAR in 136 big league games. The 26-year-old hit 11 home runs, had a fantastic strike out rate of 9.9%, which was in the 98th percentile,"
The Red Sox traded for Caleb Durbin to prioritize contact and reduce strikeouts in their 2026 lineup. Durbin posted a .256/.334/.387 slash line with 2.3 fWAR across 136 games, 11 home runs, a 9.9% strikeout rate (98th percentile), and 70th percentile sprint speed. The Blue Jays paired league-best contact rates with multiple everyday players who had above-average ISO in 2025, creating a contact-plus-power balance. The Red Sox lost power contributors Rafael Devers, Rob Refsnyder, and Alex Bregman. The current roster lacks sufficient power to replicate the Blue Jays’ blend of contact and power.
Read at Jays Journal
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