Boston Red Sox
Durbin has consulted Richard Schenck dating back to 2025.
Caleb Durbin has sought external hitting help since joining the Red Sox this year. AP Photo/Chris O’Meara
It’s not a secret that Boston Red Sox hitters have sought hitting assistance outside of the organization this year.
Catcher Carlos Narvaez worked with Gradum Gswing in Waltham at the beginning of the season, as well as third baseman Caleb Durbin.
Caleb Durbin was hitting .147 on the season and had gone 2-for-26 over his last 12 games.
So he came into Gradum.
We broke down the data, made the adjustments, and got to work.
A few days later, Durbin is now 3-for-7 with 2 doubles
Teach. Train. Transfer.@gingersnaphyde… pic.twitter.com/MghParLJE3
— Gradum Gswing™️ (@GradumGswing) May 30, 2026
Both hitters have experienced major slumps in 2026, but Durbin was one of the worst hitters in all of MLB to begin the year.
Durbin, Boston’s starting third baseman, has recently improved at the plate, though. Across nine games in June, he’s slashing .333/.357/.630 with a .795 OPS and two home runs (each came against the Tampa Bay Rays on June 10). In March, April, and May combined, he slashed .220/.250/.280 with a .530 OPS and one home run (off a position player).
Gradum may have aided in Durbin’s improvement, but he sought help from another individual: New York Yankees slugger Aaron Judge’s personal hitting coach, Richard Schenck.
Schenck, who works with several other hitters across all talent levels, shared videos of Durbin’s progress on social media. The mentor focused on eliminating the player’s head movement during swings, which in turn changed the way his torso and legs shifted.
A thread of videos and details about the work Durbin put in with Schenck can be found under this X post:
Where I found him.
Where I got him.
Watch the head.
MLB allowed this head movement.
Private instructor encouraged that head movement.
I stopped that head movement. pic.twitter.com/dgD95oLnvh
— Richard Schenck, The Heretic JFD PPP LQC TTE. 🙂 (@Teacherman1986) June 10, 2026
Durbin has been seeing Schenck dating back to last season when he played for the Milwaukee Brewers, per Schenck’s X account.
This video is dated April 18, 2025:
In Schenck’s thread of posts, he said Boston’s chief baseball officer Craig Breslow “needs him” to shift the organization’s hitting philosophy based on Durbin’s mechanics to start the year.
“Mr. Breslow. Call me,” he wrote, and provided a phone number. “You need me.”
“Mr. Breslow … These drills have worked quite well for many,” Schenck added. “And your current batspeed/exit velo teaching prohibits the critical element that these drills create.
“Call me. This can save your job.”
Driveline Baseball, a data-driven player development organization used by the Red Sox, has faced scrutiny as many of Boston’s batters have struggled immensely offensively in recent memory.
Directly or indirectly, the Red Sox’ organizational approach to hitting has not always resulted in success, leaving players like Durbin looking for non-Boston assistance.
Seeking external advice isn’t rare nowadays. Schenck, after all, personally coaches Judge: a seven-time All-Star, five-time Silver Slugger, three-time MVP, and MLB’s 2025 batting champion.
But for a player like Durbin to make a complete 180 at the plate once he started asking for help outside of the organization, eyebrows raise at the Red Sox’ coaching strategy.
Kaley Brown
Kaley Brown is a sports producer for Boston.com, where she covers the Bruins, Celtics, Patriots, and Red Sox.
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