Bleacher Nation – Just look at how often he is obliterating baseballs these last 3+ weeks:
- 94.5 MPH exit velo. (13th)
- 16.7 barrel% (28th)
- 66.7 hard% (1st in MLB!)
For a little bit of reference, here, the average exit velocity in baseball this season is 89.5 MPH, the average barrel rate is 8.6%, and the average hard-hit rate is 40.8%. But it’s not like you need to know the averages when you can see that he’s been hitting the ball hard more often than LITERALLY any qualified hitter in baseball since May 9!
Great article on Michael Busch over at Bleacher Nation that I highly recommend checking out in its entirety as Michael Cerami breaks down his underrated first two months.
A huge takeaway is his swing decisions and basically eliminating bad pitches outside the zone. The discipline isn’t necessarily there to control count as much as it is to limit bad swings at bad pitches. That’s my #1 takeaway from Michael Busch and it’s all new realizations.
So go check out the article.
One of my favorite things about Busch and generally the 2025 Cubs is how much he stays within his own game. He doesn’t overswing. He never looks like an idiot. He doesn’t try to pull off and hit the ball into Lake Michigan on 2-0 and then change his swing with two strikes. He’s just a really consistent and seemingly durable first baseman that picks and chooses his spots perfectly to unleash hell.
Is he a pure cleanup hitter?
Probably not on a World Series roster but I can make an argument for him being the best 6-hole hitter in the universe.
Which reminds me.
My lineup for the Cubs would look like this every single night:
- Happ
- Tucker
- Suzuki
- PCA
- Swanson
- Busch
- Hoerner
- CATCHER
- Matt Shaw the rookie
I think that gives you the best balance between righty/lefty while also having guys matched into their most natural spots.
People want to see Nico lead off but I like him with 2-outs and runners in scoring position so much. He makes a lot of hard contact and never strikes out. I like that more in a run-producing situation with 2-outs than I do with him setting the table. For now I think Ian Happ is positioned perfectly to break out and for that reason I want to keep him at the top.
I also think PCA deserves the same batting spot no matter what. We can’t keep moving him around as it sees fit and I think giving him the cleanup role would be smart going into June with so few off days ahead. I want him dialed in and feeling fluid.
Swanson for the 5th spot because he’s so clutch.
Busch 6th can still give you some thump as we get into the best 7-8-9 in MLB by every measurable statistic.
That’s where I stand on the lineup and I think Michael Busch is so underrated in connected the whole thing. He’s such a good player and continues to improve seemingly every week. So shoutout to Jed for making this trade because each time I revisit it, the scales tip more towards the Cubs in favor of winning it. Without disrespecting Jackson Ferris or Zyhir Hope it just feels like we’re on the right side of history this one.
So don’t forget to show #29 some respect this week because he’s most certainly deserving.
PS – it’s the best Cubs season at 1st base since 2016… just saying
PPS – New Monday Morning Cubs Show out now right here: