In Cubs first baseman Michael Busch’s first at-bat against the Angels, he walked on four balls that didn’t come close to the strike zone.
After a breakout 2025 season that saw Busch finish third among first basemen in homers (34), seventh in RBIs (90) and second in wRC+ (140), he’s earned that respect from pitchers because they know Busch capitalizes on mistakes. So far this season, Busch has kept up his productive ways at the plate.
Busch isn’t the showman Pete Crow-Armstrong is, nor is he the clubhouse leader like Dansby Swanson or the All-Star like Alex Bregman. He’s an unassuming player who lets his game speak for itself, and it’s loud.
“I think he was the best first baseman in baseball last year,” Crow-Armstrong told the Sun-Times. “I know you still got [Dodgers first baseman Freddie Freeman] and [Orioles slugger Pete Alonso] in the National League. But last year, I don’t think there was a better first baseman in baseball.”
Busch fits in with the measured and workman-like group that team president of baseball operations Jed Hoyer has assembled. The Cubs traded left-handed pitching prospect Jackson Ferris and outfield prospect Zyhir Hope to the Dodgers for reliever Yence Almonte and Busch before the 2024 season.
At the time of the trade, Busch was the Dodgers’ No. 2 prospect, according to MLB.com, but was blocked from regular playing time because of Los Angeles’ star-studded cast of future Hall of Famers at first and second base, and the designated hitter spot.
With regular playing time, Busch has flourished in Chicago. And now, after manager Craig Counsell said he’s going to use him more against left-handers this season, he’ll have even more responsibility, and Busch should fare well. He already sets the tone for the team as the leadoff hitter, even though he doesn’t fit the prototypical model of one. Crow-Armstrong said jokingly that Busch is “lacking a little bit of speed.”
“I love him in the leadoff spot,” Crow-Armstrong said. “His ability to get on base, and especially when he’s hot, makes things feel like an event. So when he’s hot, it’s been fun to watch.”
He’s a selective hitter with plus power and rarely chases. Crow-Armstrong lauded Busch for his work in the batting cages, saying that the first baseman works at a “very controlled level,” and that when the tempo speeds up in the game, he’s prepared for it.
“[Busch] knows what he can handle, and he does a really good job of swinging at the pitches that are right for him,” left fielder Ian Happ told the Sun-Times. “It’s not as easy as it sounds to do that. On Opening Day — Busch reached base four times and was 3-for-4 with two doubles — his ability to control the zone and get the pitches that he wanted to hit was impressive.”
Busch has room for improvement on defense. He graded out in the 36th percentile in outs above average.
“Think just being a little more efficient in all areas,” Busch said. “Especially [with] my footwork over at first, which is one thing that I want to take pride in, making sure I’m really comfortable with how I’m getting to the base, working around the base and where I’m at on the base.”
But if Busch’s 2025 performance is his floor going forward, the team is in a good long-term spot. He doesn’t garner the recognition of his teammates, but they understand Busch’s importance to the lineup.
“With everything that he contributes, he’s the best first baseman in the NL, at least,” Crow-Armstrong said.
The last thing the Cubs or Imanaga wanted to see is what took place in the first inning Sunday, when the Nationals’ Joey Wiemer cranked a three-run home run into the left-field bleachers.
So is this what the Cubs look like with the financial gloves off — big paydays for Pete Crow-Armstrong and Hoerner, preceded by the five-year, $175 million free-agent signing of third baseman Alex Bregman?
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