Michael Busch's start with the Cubs has 'gone just the way we've hoped'

A year ago at this time, Michael Busch was in the beginning stages of a season in which he flat out dominated Triple-A pitching.

By the end of 2023, in 98 games at that level, he had hit .323 with a 1.049 OPS, 27 home runs, a 13.9 percent walk rate and an 18.8 percent strikeout rate. In case it’s not clear, he was teeing off at that level. He really had nothing left to prove in the minor leagues.

The problem was the Dodgers had a lineup full of established big leaguers. Though Busch did make his debut and ended up with 81 major league plate appearances in 2023, they were scattered across three separate stints in Los Angeles. Without much of a chance to find a rhythm in the majors, he didn’t have immediate success.

The Dodgers appear to have developing prospects down to a science. Seemingly every year, they have multiple prospects on the various top-100 lists. Many of them end up taking on roles in Los Angeles, or at the very least, they become trade pieces.

That’s how Busch ended up with the Cubs. The Dodgers just didn’t have the room for him in the majors, and they dealt him to Chicago for a couple of young prospects.

The Cubs were ready to give him the opportunity he couldn’t get in Los Angeles. With a hole at first base, they made it clear as soon as they traded for him that they were looking to give him some run there. And throughout the spring and start of the season, Busch has made them confident they made the right move.

“I think it’s gone just the way we’ve hoped,” manager Craig Counsell said of the start of Busch’s Cubs career, before their 9-7 win over the Dodgers on Friday. “I think his at-bats have kind of carried over, felt very similar coming out of spring training what he’s done the first week of the season. And I think Michael is gonna be just a consistent presence. I think that’s what he is right now, and then just trying to stack at-bats for him in this league. … As you get comfortable with what the league can do, he’s just gonna get better and better.”

The results weren’t quite there for Busch right out of the gate. Through Tuesday (his first five games), he was hitting .154 with a .467 OPS and just two base hits, neither for extra bases.

But it wasn’t all about the results. He still had that consistently good plate approach he’d shown during spring, and some underlying numbers showed his stats probably should’ve been better. The way he handled himself at the plate, even when the balls weren’t falling his way yet, wasn’t lost on his teammates.

“What he’s been doing, the consistency of the at-bats, even that first series [in Texas] without a lot to show for it, the consistency of at-bats is really good,” Ian Happ said. “Plate discipline, swinging at the right pitches, that stuff will work itself out. Keep doing it.”

“I feel like I’ve been extra aware of his at-bats, just being on deck for them,” Nico Hoerner said. “All those close takes and just seeing him go about his work, even before he was getting results, just the at-bats were so, so consistent.”

This early in the season, trusting that the results would come was important for Busch. And after putting together a 3-for-3 night against the Rockies on Wednesday, the power potential he’s displayed in the past finally led to something special.

The Cubs were up by three when Busch stepped to the plate with one out in the bottom of the third. By then, they’d chased Dodgers starter Bobby Miller from the game, and reliever Dinelson Lamet was on the mound.

Busch, who’d come into the game seeing over four pitches per plate appearance, worked a full count before Lamet threw him a 94-mph fastball down and in. Busch turned on it and launched it deep to right field.

Even with the wind threatening to keep the ball in play, the 109-mph exit velocity helped it sneak into the basket, marking his first home run as a Cub — against the team who dealt him away.

“That’s a big thrill,” Counsell said. “I mean, I know he had some home runs last year, but to hit your first one as a Cub against your former team, that’s really cool.

Busch’s contributions didn’t end there.

Despite the Cubs giving him runway to show what he can do at first base, and despite him spending most of his time in college at that spot, he’d only played 18 games there while in the Dodgers’ minor league system. But a little less experience professionally didn’t keep him from making a couple of clutch plays.

First, with runners on first and second and one out in the ninth, Dansby Swanson scooped up a ground ball to short and fired over to Busch. The ball hit the dirt but he was able to pick it off the bounce, and though the runner was initially ruled safe, a successful challenge turned it from a bases-loaded, one-out situation into runners at second and third with two outs.

Then, Los Angeles’ James Outman lined one to the right side. Had the ball escaped the infield, it could’ve tied the game — but Busch made sure the Dodgers wouldn’t get to find out.

He dove to his right, snagged the ball out of the air and popped up to celebrate the Cubs’ fifth straight victory.

“It was funny, Nico was telling me at the mound visit that we were just trying to keep everything from getting to the outfield,” Busch said. “So, if we had to dive, we were gonna dive. And two pitches later, I had to dive.”

There’s still a ways to go before Busch truly establishes himself in the big leagues. The results are starting to show, but more struggles to come wouldn’t be unexpected.

Still, the Cubs are confident he’ll find success at this level. Even if the results aren’t always there, as long as he continues doing all the right things, the rest will take care of itself.

“He had obviously a huge game today,” Counsell said. “Great play at the end of the game. So, happy for him, for sure. Another day just kind of consistent, tough at-bats, showing us we’re happy we have him.”

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