Durbin becomes first former Dock Spiders player to play for Milwaukee

Former Fond du Lac Dock Spiders infielder Caleb Durbin made his Major League debut for the Milwaukee Brewers on Friday, April 18 against the Athletics. Durbin becomes the fourth former Fond du Lac Dock Spiders player in the majors, joining St. Louis Cardinals outfielder Victor Scott, Cardinals right-handed pitcher Ryan Loutos, and Miami Marlins catcher Nick Fortes as Major Leaguers with Fond du Lac ties.

Durbin, who played collegiately at Washington University in St. Louis (MO), played for the Dock Spiders in 2020 and 2021. The Lake Forest, Illinois, native was with the Dock Spiders when he was selected by the Atlanta Braves in the 14th round of the 2021 Major League Baseball First-Year Player Draft. In two seasons with the Dock Spiders, Durbin combined to appear in 34 games and hit .309 (34-for-110) with three doubles, one home run, 22 RBI, and 10 stolen bases.

Following the 2024 season, Durbin appeared in the Arizona Fall League (AFL) and was named AFL Breakout Player of the Year and an AFL All-Star. During the AFL season, he notched 29 stolen bases in just 24 games played, which broke an AFL record. Durbin is now the all-time AFL stolen base champion with 50 over two seasons. The utility player saw time at five different positions while hitting .312 with five home runs and 21 RBI. In mid-December 2024, Durbin was traded from the New York Yankees to the Brewers as part of the Devin Williams trade and is currently the No. 21 prospect in the Brewers system, according to MLB.com.

Durbin started his professional career in 2021 with the Rookie-level Florida Complex League Braves. Over 17 games in the FCL, he hit .268 and stole 12 bases. His 2022 season was spent between Class-A Augusta of the Carolina League and High-A Rome of the South Atlantic League. He combined to hit .241 but collected 31 stolen bases in 105 games. Following the 2022 season, he was acquired by the Yankees along with right-handed pitcher Indigo Diaz in exchange for left-handed pitcher Lucas Luetge.

In 2023, Durbin combined to appear in 69 games for High-A Hudson Valley of the South Atlantic League and Double-A Somerset of the Eastern League. He hit .304 with 22 extra-base hits, 25 RBI and an .822 OPS and 36 stolen bases. His 2024 season was split between Class-A Tampa of the Florida State League, Double-A Somerset, and Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes Barre of the International League. Between these three stops, he combined to hit .275 over 90 games with 25 doubles, two triples, 10 home runs, 60 RBI, 31 stolen bases, and an .839 OPS.

In his Major League debut against the Athletics, Durbin started at third base and batted ninth. He went 2-for-4 at the plate with one run scored – including an infield hit in his first Major League plate appearance. Prior to his promotion to Milwaukee, he appeared in 13 games for Triple-A Nashville in 2025. Durbin hit .278 (15-for-54) with five doubles, two home runs, three RBI, and three stolen bases.

Since the Dock Spiders first season in 2017, they have enjoyed an overall winning record of 282-262 for a .518 winning percentage. They won their first Northwoods League Championship in 2018 and also claimed the League’s Wisconsin-Illinois Pod Championship in 2020. A total of 43 former Dock Spiders players have been drafted by Major League Baseball teams, including five selections last season.

The Dock Spiders will begin their ninth season of Northwoods League play during the spring of 2025. Information about ticket packages is currently available at dockspiders.com or by calling the ticket office at (920) 907-9833. Visit the Dock Spiders ballpark Box Office and Team Store during normal business hours: Monday-Friday, 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.

The Fond du Lac Dock Spiders are a member of the finest developmental league for elite college baseball players, the Northwoods League. The Northwoods League is the proven leader in the development of elite college baseball players. Now in its’ 31st season, the Northwoods League is the largest organized baseball league in history with 26 teams, drawing significantly more fans, in a friendly ballpark experience, than any league of its kind. A valuable training ground for coaches, umpires, and front office staff, 360 Northwoods League players have advanced to Major League Baseball, including threetime All-Star and 2016 Roberto Clemente Award winner Curtis Granderson, three-time Cy Young Award winner and World Series Champion Max Scherzer (TEX), two-time World Series Champions Ben Zobrist and Brandon Crawford (STL) and World Series Champion Chris Sale (ATL). As well as 2019 Rookie of the Year and 2019/2021 Home Run Derby Champion Pete Alonso (NYM) and 2023 World Series Champion, MLB All-Star, MLB Gold Glove winner and two-time All-MLB first team shortstop Marcus Semien (TEX). League games are viewable live on Northwoods League+ (at watch.northwoodsleague.com), ESPN+, and the Northwoods League Network. Learn more and find complete streaming schedules at watchnwl.com. For more information, visit dockspiders.com or download the new Northwoods League Mobile App on the Apple App Store or on Google Play and set the Dock Spiders as your favorite team.