The Chicago Cubs have quite the asset in first baseman Michael Busch.
Acquired from the Los Angeles Dodgers prior to the 2024 season for a pair of well-regarded lower-level prospects– pitcher Jackson Ferris and outfielder Zyhir Hope– Busch was considered a man without a landing spot on the overloaded major league Dodgers team.
The Cubs, however, saw him as the possible answer to a couple of big league roster holes. Ultimately, they decided to make him their every day first baseman.
Busch proved his worth in his rookie season, settling in at the plate and turning himself into a Gold Glove-level fielder in his first full year at the position.
His sophomore year, however, has, so far, been even better.
Michael Busch Has Excelled
Early into the 2025 campaign, Busch is near the top of the team in almost every offensive category, notably, second in home runs, third in RBIs, and first in batting average (among players with at least 50 at bats).
17-year major league veteran and former Chicago Cubs outfielder Cliff Floyd recently commented on Busch’s improvements and estimated the substantially high ceiling for the 27-year-old.
“Now he understands the adjustments to the adjustments,” Floyd said during a segment on ‘Cubs Postgame Live!’ this past Sunday. “When you get to the point where you are adjusting to the pitchers and now they are adjusting to you, that’s when you really start to do some damage. He’s that good.”
“He’s going to be a guy in this game for a long time, hopefully playing for the Cubs and doing his thing,” Floyd continued. “He can hit foul pole to foul pole, left field to right field — he can do it all. So, when you have that type of potential, then you shouldn’t be down, hitting .240. He should be where he’s at right now.
“He should be around .300 with 25 homers. I think that’s where he lives.”
And if that’s where Busch lives, he resides in a pretty nice neighborhood.
The Chicago Cubs Have A Gem At First base
Mar 27, 2025; Phoenix, Arizona, USA; Arizona Diamondbacks shortstop Geraldo Perdomo (2) beats a throw to Chicago Cubs first base Michael Busch (29) for an infield RBI single during the fourth inning at Chase Field. Mandatory Credit: Joe Camporeale-Imagn Images
Cubs manager Craig Counsell showing more confidence in him to face tough left-handed pitching would open the door to full actualization, Many feel he deserves that consideration already.
“He’s a good hitter. He’s a young hitter,” Counsell recently told reporters. “He had a really successful year last year. And I think the goal is, ‘Put 500 plate appearances under your belt. Learn from them. Get a little better from them. Understand what you have to be a little bit better at.’”
“He’s making such good decisions at the plate, he gives himself a chance every at-bat and he’s looking to do damage, which I love,” Cubs president of baseball operations Jed Hoyer told media after Biusch’s recent red-hot 8-for-19 West Coast road trip that saw him hit three home runs and drive in 6 runs. “He’s looking to drive the baseball, and I think that started to show up on the trip and hopefully keeps it going.”
All-Star Busch?
Some feel that Busch is ready for that last step towards full actualization.
Rich Eberwein of Cubbies Crib recently named Busch as one of five Cubs players who could be first-time All-Stars in 2025.
Per Eberwein:
“With uncertainty at the third base position and shortstop Dansby Swanson struggling at the plate, Busch’s emergence gives the team a left-handed slugger in the heart of the batting order who has helped the offense score more runs than anyone in the opening weeks of 2025.”
All in all, things are looking bright for Busch and, best of all, better days may even be ahead.
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