Potential Yankees’ Gleyber Torres Replacement Earns Impressive AFL Award

The Yankees' second-base prospect was awarded the Arizona Fall League Breakout Prospect of the Year Award for 2024.

Mar 24, 2024; Bradenton, Florida, USA; New York Yankees infielder Caleb Durbin (87) throws the ball for an out during the second inning against the Pittsburgh Pirates at LECOM Park. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement Neitzel-Imagn Images / Kim Klement Neitzel-Imagn Images

If the New York Yankees wind up moving on from second baseman Gleyber Torres, the future looks bright at the keystone position. 

Yankees infield prospect Caleb Durbin was named the Arizona Fall League’s Breakout Prospect of the Year. The 24-year-old second baseman received the honors after setting a record for stolen bases in an AFL season with 29. This smashed the previous record of 24 stolen bases held by Rick Holifield since 1994.

Last season, Durbin came close to breaking the record with 23 stolen bases in 23 games. Durbin also became the second player in AFL history to record four steals in a single game on two separate occasions. 

Durbin showed poise at the plate in the AFL, slashing .312/.427/.548 with five home runs across 24 games. The proof was in his plate discipline, as he recorded an impressive 17 walks to just six strikeouts, exhibiting all of the intangibles for a top-of-the-order bat at the major league level. 

Durbin also suited up in 82 games for the Yankees’ Triple-A affiliate at Scranton/Wilkes-Barre this year, slashing .287/.396/.471 with 10 home runs, 60 RBI, and 29 stolen bases. Perhaps what is most impressive about Durbin is his position flexibility. At Triple-A, Durbin split his time between second base, shortstop, third base, and both left and center field. 

Should Torres depart in free agency, the Yankees would have a hole at second base if they choose to keep deadline pickup Jazz Chisholm Jr. at the hot corner. This would make Durbin an ideal fit next season and manager Aaron Boone recently gave the young infielder his stamp of approval when asked about him by the media. 

“I think he’s a stud, frankly," Boone said of Durbin. “Great bat-to-ball, elite ability on the bases as a base stealer, good defender in the middle of the diamond at second base.” 

According to MLB.com’s prospect rankings, Durbin is not even in the top 30 in the Yankees' organization. Still, with the backing of Boone and Yankees general manager Brian Cashman, it wouldn’t be surprising to see Durbin wearing pinstripes in the Bronx sooner rather than later.