Caleb Durbin arrived in the Arizona Fall League intent upon boosting his prospect status, with the infielder aiming to showcase his skills in hopes of securing a place on the Yankees¡¯ 40-man roster.

Mission accomplished. Coming off a Fall League performance in which he was selected as an AFL ¡°Fall Star¡± and the AFL¡¯s Breakout Prospect of the Year, the 24-year-old Durbin was placed on the Bombers¡¯ 40-man roster on Tuesday. 22-year-old catcher Jesus Rodriguez was also added.

General manager Brian Cashman and Yankees manager Aaron Boone have both spoken highly of Durbin this offseason, viewing him as a strong internal candidate to crack the 2025 infield.

¡°I think he¡¯s a stud, frankly,¡± Boone said last week. ¡°Great bat-to-ball [skill], elite ability on the bases as a base stealer, a good defender in the middle of the diamond at second base. He¡¯s really started over the last year-plus to create some position flexibility, too. ¡­ Really competitive, kind of that hard-nosed, tough player. I¡¯m excited for him. I think he¡¯s going to play a big role for us this upcoming season.¡±

In the Fall League, Durbin batted .312/.427/.548 with five homers in 24 games. Durbin¡¯s 29 stolen bases shattered the previous record of 24, set by Rick Holifield in 1994, when the AFL¡¯s schedule was almost twice as long as it currently is.

¡°He¡¯s definitely put himself in a position to earn some serious big league consideration,¡± Boone said. ¡°What role that is remains to be seen.¡±

He batted .275/.388/.451 with 61 runs, 25 doubles, 10 homers, 60 RBIs, 53 walks and 31 stolen bases in 90 combined games for Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre, Double-A Somerset and Single-A Tampa this past season, ranking fifth among Yankees Minor Leaguers in steals, eighth in on-base percentage, and 10th in batting average and RBIs.

Durbin told MLB.com¡¯s Jesse Borek earlier this month that he was ¡°100 percent¡± trying to impress big league brass in the AFL.

"I mean, that's why you play the game, is to help a big league team at the highest level,¡± Durbin said. ¡°That's been on my mind since I've gotten to pro ball. Now that it's kind of around the corner, it's definitely a little more fun to think about because it's right there. But I definitely want to try to put on a show out here and showcase what I can do."

Originally drafted by the Braves in the 14th round of the 2021 MLB Draft, Durbin was acquired along with right-hander Indigo D¨ªaz in December 2022 in exchange for left-hander Lucas Luetge.

Rodr¨ªguez, 22, combined with High-A Hudson Valley and Double-A Somerset to hit .302/.375/.481 with 48 runs, 15 doubles, 10 homers and 47 RBIs this past season. Additionally, the Yankees received right-hander Carson Coleman as a Rule 5 Draft return from the Rangers.