Michael Busch
26-Year-Old
2024 Stats
AVG
.000
HR
0
RBI
0
R
0
SB
0
Rest-of-Season Projections
2024 Fantasy Outlook
Busch fits best defensively at designated hitter, but it's still to be determined whether his bat will produce enough value in the majors to be worth playing at the bottom of the defensive spectrum. With the addition of automated balls and strikes, the Pacific Coast League was even more of a hitter's paradise than in the past, and Busch took full advantage, slashing .323/.431/.618 with 27 home runs, an 18.8 K% and a 13.9 BB% in 98 games. In addition to the cartoonish hitting environment he played in, Busch was 25 years old, so there would be no excuse for him not to mash Triple-A pitching. Even in that juiced environment, Busch only managed a .795 OPS with two home runs in 167 plate appearances against lefties, so he may be platooned if he doesn't become passable somewhere defensively. He only got 81 plate appearances in the majors, struggling to an unlucky .167 average with 27 strikeouts, eight walks and two home runs. He is eligible at third base in 2024 but may not have anywhere to play for the Dodgers in the short term. There are some Quad-A hitter red flags, and Busch may need a trade to get a chance to show he belongs. Read Past Outlooks
Settling in at first
Busch, who primarily played second and third base the last few years, said recently he is feeling more comfortable at first, Sahadev Sharma of The Athletic reports.
ANALYSIS
Busch is expected to make an impact with his bat, but the Cubs would also like to get solid defense at first base. Manager Craig Counsell noted that Busch's athleticism is helping him make the transition, and the team seems to be happy with what it is seeing so far in camp. If Busch can hold his own at the position, he should be in line for a fairly steady amount of playing time this season.
Busch is expected to make an impact with his bat, but the Cubs would also like to get solid defense at first base. Manager Craig Counsell noted that Busch's athleticism is helping him make the transition, and the team seems to be happy with what it is seeing so far in camp. If Busch can hold his own at the position, he should be in line for a fairly steady amount of playing time this season.
Batting Stats
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2023
Minor League Game Log
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Left/Right Batting Splits
Since 2022
+19%
OPS vs RHP
2024
No Stats
OPS | PA | HR | RBI | AVG | |||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Since 2022vs Left | .467 | 15 | 0 | 0 | .200 | ||||
Since 2022vs Right | .556 | 66 | 2 | 7 | .158 | ||||
2024vs Left | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||||
2024vs Right | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||||
2023vs Left | .467 | 15 | 0 | 0 | .200 | ||||
2023vs Right | .556 | 66 | 2 | 7 | .158 | ||||
2022vs Left | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||||
2022vs Right | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||||
More Splits→ | View More Split Stats |
Home/Away Batting Splits
Since 2022
+112%
OPS at Home
2024
No Stats
OPS | PA | HR | RBI | AVG | |||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Since 2022Home | .745 | 39 | 1 | 2 | .235 | ||||
Since 2022Away | .351 | 42 | 1 | 5 | .105 | ||||
2024Home | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||||
2024Away | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||||
2023Home | .745 | 39 | 1 | 2 | .235 | ||||
2023Away | .351 | 42 | 1 | 5 | .105 | ||||
2022Home | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||||
2022Away | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||||
More Splits→ | View More Split Stats |
Stat Review
How does Michael Busch compare to other hitters?
This section compares his stats with all batting seasons from the previous three seasons (minimum 400 plate appearances)*. The bar represents the player's percentile rank. For example, if the bar is halfway across, then the player falls into the 50th percentile for that stat and it would be considered average.
* Exit Velocity and Barrels/PA % are benchmarked against 2019 data (min 400 PA) and Hard Hit Rate is benchmarked against last season's data (min 400 PA). See here for more exit velocity/barrels stats plus an explanation of current limitations with that data set.
* Exit Velocity and Barrels/PA % are benchmarked against 2019 data (min 400 PA) and Hard Hit Rate is benchmarked against last season's data (min 400 PA). See here for more exit velocity/barrels stats plus an explanation of current limitations with that data set.
BB/K
0.30BB Rate
9.9%K Rate
33.3%BABIP
.227ISO
.125AVG
.167OBP
.247SLG
.292OPS
.539wOBA
.244Exit Velocity
89.1 mphHard Hit Rate
28.3%Barrels/PA
3.7%Expected BA
.182Expected SLG
.341Sprint Speed
24.6 ft/secGround Ball %
58.7%Line Drive %
8.7%Fly Ball %
32.6%Prospect Rankings History
Advanced Batting Stats
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Additional Stats
Games By Position
Defensive Stats
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Batted Ball Stats
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Stats Vs Upcoming Pitchers
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Recent RotoWire Articles Featuring Michael Busch See More
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James Anderson breaks down which top-100 prospects will reach the majors this year and when we will see them, including Rangers phenom Wyatt Langford.
The NL Central is full of job battles as always this spring, though in a pleasant turn from most recent seasons, many of them feature exciting players like Chicago's Christopher Morel.
Past Fantasy Outlooks
2023
2022
2021
2020
Busch emphasized his status as one of the Dodgers' most highly touted young bats by leading the organization's minor-leaguers in hits (151), doubles (38), RBI (108) and runs (118) last season while tying for lead with 32 homers. Sure, he played most of his games in the hitter-friendly Pacific Coast League and struck out in 26.5% of his plate appearances, but he showed improvement in that area with a 17.6% rate over his final 25 games and has consistently demonstrated patience at the plate, registering an 11.4% walk rate last season. Busch isn't going to steal many bases and is just an average defender, but his potential with the bat was enough for the Dodgers to add him to their 40-man roster in November. He should make his big-league debut sometime in 2023.
More Fantasy News
Hits first spring home run
Busch went 1-for-3 with a two-run home run in Thursday's Cactus League game against the Reds.
ANALYSIS
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May see less playing time
Busch could see his role reduced somewhat now that Cody Bellinger has agreed to return to the Cubs, Jordan Bastian of MLB.com reports.
ANALYSIS
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Likely to play first base
Cubs president of baseball operations Jed Hoyer said Saturday that while Busch's ultimate position will be up to manager Craig Counsell, he expects the 26-year-old to play first base, Jared Wyllys of AllCHGO.com reports.
ANALYSIS
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Dealt to Cubs
Busch was traded from the Dodgers to the Cubs along with Yency Almonte on Thursday in exchange for two unknown minor leaguers, Juan Toribio of MLB.com reports.
ANALYSIS
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Sent back to OKC
The Dodgers optioned Busch to Triple-A Oklahoma City on Friday, Fabian Ardaya of The Athletic reports.
ANALYSIS
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