The Chicago Cubs may have found their new first baseman.
Especially if Cody Bellinger signs a free-agent contract with another team.
In a January 11, 2024 trade with the Los Angeles Dodgers, the Cubs obtained prospect pitcher Yency Almonte, and promising corner infielder/designated hitter Michael Busch in exchange for prospect pitcher Jackson Ferris, and prospect outfielder Zyhir Hope.
The left-handed hitting Busch, 26, has been a highly regarded prospect of the Dodgers for quite some time.
Seen as a promising hitter in the 2019 Major League Draft, Michael Busch surprisingly dropped to the No. 31 selection in the first round.
Chosen out of the University of North Carolina, scouts were conflicted regarding the best defensive position for Busch. As a result, his stock fell a bit in the draft.
Busch played both first base and left field at North Carolina.
Interestingly, the Dodgers projected Busch to play second base in their organization, and gave him at $2,312,000 signing bonus.
An excellent baseball, basketball and hockey player at Simley High School in Inver Grove Heights, Minnesota, Busch was viewed as the stateâs best shortstop. He was seen as the No. 3 ranked player in the state by several prospect organizations, including Perfect Game.
Michael Busch has a 6-1, 210 pound frame. He isnât huge, but he has enough strength and stamina to hold his own in a long MLB season.
This scout was able to observe Michael Busch in the 2019 Arizona Fall League.
Busch broke his hand before the Fall League began, but he was still able to play five games for Glendale at the end of the Fall season.
In his 22 plate appearances, Busch hit .231 with 12 of his 13 hits being singles. The other hit was a home run.
At the time, during his minor league development program, the Dodgers were playing Busch fairly equally at first and second base. He even saw some time in the outfield.
Clearly, the ambiguity seen about Buschâs best defensive position during the draft remained an issue after Busch signed with the Dodgers.
He could hit, but where would he play?
To this observer, Busch has always shown quick hands through the ball, and good mechanics at the plate. He is able to find the barrel of the bat, and is well aware of methods pitchers use to get him out.
Appropriately aggressive, and using a measured swing, Busch has enough patience and good enough pitch recognition to coax his share of walks.
Busch has shown very good eye-hand coordination, with good balance at the plate. He doesnât lunge at pitches, and he allows the pitch to travel deep into the zone before he commits his swing.
To this scout, Busch appears more of a credible hitter than as a home run threat. He is capable of supporting bigger, stronger, more powerful hitters in a lineup.
Busch does have enough strength to drive the ball to the gaps. However, Busch hasnât shown much home run power in his development with the Dodgers.
Ultimately, he should be able to hit 20 to 23 home runs in a full season of plate appearances. His home park, Wrigley Field, should treat his swing fairly, and he can take advantage of days when the wind is blowing out.
To this writer, Busch appears to be able to remain in the lineup against left-handed pitching, as he has had good success against lefties in his development years. However, the Cubs may choose to platoon him, replacing him against left-handed pitching.
It is clear to this observer that the Cubs traded for Busch for his hitting potential.
Defensively, Busch does not have a strong arm, and he grades as major league average as both a second baseman and first baseman. He likely wonât win a Gold Glove on defense.
That said, in scouting Busch in recent spring training games with the Dodgers, he appears to have gained confidence as a defender, and has shown improvement on defense.
Not a player with much speed, Busch should not be looked upon to steal many bases or take chances trying to stretch his hits to the gaps to the next base. Speed is not among his assets.
Buschâs overall athletic ability should carry him to a role as a major league regular at first base.
Busch split last year between Triple-A Oklahoma City (98 games, 469 plate appearances) and with the parent Dodgers big league club.
With the Dodgers, Busch appeared in 27 games. In his 81 plate appearances, Busch hit .162/.247/.292/.539 with three doubles, no triples, two home runs, and seven RBIs. He stole one base. Busch struck out 27 times, and drew eight walks.
His brief time with the Dodgers last year illustrated the lack of a permanent defensive role for Michael Busch.
The Dodgers played Busch in four games at first base, one game at second base, 13 games at third base, one game in left field, and one game as their designated hitter.
Fangraphs projects Michael Busch to play as the left-handed hitter in a platoon at first base for the Cubs. A player such as right-handed hitting Michael Wisdom could be the right-handed hitting first baseman.
Fangraphs projects the first base platoon to hit 7th in the Cubs lineup.
To this scout, Michael Busch has earned a scouting grade of 50, or an average major league quality player.
