Michael Busch

Active

Chicago Cubs · First Base

Age 285' 11" · 210 lbsBats Left

FBaseball Overview

At 28 years old, Busch enters 2026 as Chicago's first baseman with mixed momentum after a down offensive year that saw his batting average drop 28 points to .233 while his power output collapsed from 34 homers to just 9 in 305 at-bats. His 2025 campaign demonstrated legitimate upside—finishing with 34 home runs, 90 RBIs, and a .261 average across a full season—suggesting the 2026 decline may reflect injury, inconsistent playing time, or general regression rather than permanent skill erosion. Fantasy managers should view him cautiously as either a buy-low candidate if the Cubs project him for regular at-bats in 2026, or as a bench player given the uncertainty around his power stroke and average, though his 2025 production provides a floor of upside if he regains form. The lack of stolen base upside (2 SB in 2026, 4 in 2025) limits his value beyond home run and RBI categories, making him a lower-tier first baseman with bounce-back potential rather than a core fantasy asset.

MLB Hitting

Year	Team	G	AVG	HR	RBI	R	SB	OBP	SLG	OPS
2023	Los Angeles Dodgers	27	.167	2	7	9	1	.247	.292	.539
2024	Chicago Cubs	152	.248	21	65	73	2	.335	.440	.775
2025	Chicago Cubs	155	.261	34	90	78	4	.343	.523	.866
2026	Chicago Cubs	89	.234	11	47	37	2	.367	.391	.758
Career	Totals	423	.246	68	209	197	9	.341	.452	.793

Source: MLB Stats API · Multi-team seasons show combined totals — click to expand

Minor League Hitting

Year	Team	G	AVG	HR	RBI	R	SB	OBP	SLG	OPS
2019	2 teams▼	10	.125	0	2	5	0	.371	.125	.496
2021	Tulsa Drillers	107	.267	20	67	84	2	.386	.484	.870
2022	2 teams▼	142	.274	32	108	118	4	.365	.516	.881
2023	Oklahoma City Dodgers	98	.323	27	90	85	4	.431	.618	1.049
Career	Totals	357	.283	79	267	292	10	.390	.529	.919

Source: MLB Stats API · Multi-team seasons show combined totals — click to expand

Game Log2026 season

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Analytics2026 season · via Baseball Savant

Click for year to year changes

EV Avg88.3 mph

Max EV108.7 mph

Launch Angle15.4°

Barrel %11%

K %22.9%

Hard Hit %41.4%

Whiff %25.7%

Chase %23.7%

xBA0.227

xSLG0.411

xwOBA0.345

GB%40.5%

LD%19.4%

FB%36.3%

What These Stats Mean

EV Avg — Average exit velocity — how hard this batter hits the ball. Elite hitters (90+ mph) make consistently hard contact, driving better batting averages and more power.

Max EV — Peak exit velocity on the batter's hardest-hit ball this season. Signals raw power potential even without a high HR total yet.

Launch Angle — Average vertical angle of the ball off the bat. The sweet spot for extra-base hits is roughly 10–30°; extreme ground ball or pop-up hitters sit outside this range.

Barrel % — Percentage of batted balls hit with the optimal exit velocity + launch angle combo. Barrels are the single best predictor of home runs and slugging percentage.

K % — Strikeout rate per plate appearance. High K% suppresses batting average and limits run-scoring opportunities — lower is better for fantasy.

Hard Hit % — Percentage of batted balls hit 95 mph or harder. A broader power indicator than barrels; high hard-hit% players rack up extra-base hits and RBI.

Sprint Speed — Peak sprint speed in feet per second. The best predictor of stolen base upside and ability to leg out infield hits.

Whiff % — Percentage of swings that miss. High whiff rates signal strikeout vulnerability, dragging down batting average and overall production.

Chase % — How often the batter swings at pitches outside the strike zone. Low chase rates mean elite plate discipline — more walks, fewer strikeouts, more consistent at-bats.

xBA — Expected batting average based on contact quality, stripping out luck and defensive positioning. Better predictor of future performance than actual batting average.

xSLG — Expected slugging based on batted ball data. A high xSLG relative to actual SLG suggests power suppressed by bad luck that's likely to bounce back.

xwOBA — Expected weighted on-base average — the most comprehensive single expected metric. Combines contact quality, walks, and strikeouts to project overall offensive production.

GB% — Ground ball rate. High GB% hitters trade home run power for speed-dependent value — good for stolen base upside, but a drag on HR and SLG categories.

LD% — Line drive rate. High LD% hitters make consistent hard contact; line drives are the batted ball type most likely to fall for hits and boost batting average.

FB% — Fly ball rate. Elite power hitters combine high FB% with high exit velocity. High fly ball rate + soft contact = home run or nothing type.

Loading player data...

Year

Team

AVG

RBI

OBP

SLG

OPS

2023

Los Angeles Dodgers

.167

.247

.292

.539

2024

Chicago Cubs

152

.248

.335

.440

.775

2025

Chicago Cubs

155

.261

.343

.523

.866

2026

Chicago Cubs

.234

.367

.391

.758

Career

Totals

423

.246

209

197

.341

.452

.793

Year

Team

AVG

RBI

OBP

SLG

OPS

2019

2 teams▼

.125

.371

.125

.496

2021

Tulsa Drillers

107

.267

.386

.484

.870

2022

2 teams▼

142

.274

108

118

.365

.516

.881

2023

Oklahoma City Dodgers

.323

.431

.618

1.049

Career

Totals

357

.283

267

292

.390

.529

.919