Michael Busch
- The Cubs’ roster as it stands starts at DH · 601 PA · 1.7 WAR in the role
- Trade read Available at a price: CHC 44% playoff odds; control through 2029.
Hitting · 2026 percentiles
vs. MLB hitters with 300+ PA · 707 PA
Platoon splits · swing path
By pitcher handedness
| vs | PA | wOBA | xwOBA | K% | BB% | Chase | Decisions | Contact |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| LHP | 205 | .346 | .341 | 21% | 12% | 23% | +0.72 | +0.80 |
| RHP | 502 | .336 | .327 | 24% | 13% | 26% | +0.75 | −0.62 |
- Attack angle
- 15.3° (50% in 5–20°)
- Attack direction
- −3.1°
- Swing length
- 7.0 ft
- Fast-swing rate
- 5%
- Pull-air %
- 18.0%
- Hard-hit %
- 39.7%
- Slash · wRC+
- .242/.352/.393 · 112
Zone map · 2026
Where he does damage, and where to pitch him
Does the most damage middle-away (+3.0 vs. league per 100; 1.6 standard errors on 156 pitches, inside the noise for the best of nine cells).
Weakest down and in (−2.3), but only 1.1 standard errors from average on 109 pitches: no in-zone spot to attack yet.
Runs per 100 pitches vs. an average LHB: better · worse. Catcher’s view · 2,574 pitches · faded cells are within one standard error of average. A spot is called only when it is farther from average than the best or worst of nine average cells gets 95% of the time (set from the league’s own pitches: about 3 standard errors above, 2 below).
Most similar hitters
Swings like Busch: bat path, contact quality and approach
| Similarity | Player | xwOBA | ’26 WAR | ’27 proj | 2027 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 59 | Hunter Feduccia LAD · ’97 | .315 | 0.5 | 0.1 | — |
| 54 | Nick Sogard BOS · ’97 | .315 | 1.2 | 0.9 | Pre-arb |
| 52 | Travis Bazzana CLE · ’02 | .300 | 2.8 | 2.4 | Pre-arb |
| 52 | Mike Yastrzemski ATL · ’90 | .309 | 0.6 | 0.4 | Signed $10.0M |
| 49 | Tyler Stephenson CIN · ’96 | .330 | 1.3 | 1.5 | Free agent |
Nearest neighbours on bat speed, swing length, attack angle, squared-up and blast rates, EV90, barrels, pull-air, chase, zone contact, K% and BB%. 2026 regulars only.
Fielding
2027 rating at every position he can play · OAA by position · range by direction · tools. Same engine as the Fielding Lab and the Winter Plan.
| Season | Pos | OAA | Range | Arm, DP | Runs | Batters |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 1B | +2 | +2 | −0.7 | +1.3 | 5,865 |
| 2025 | 1B | −1 | −1 | −0.5 | −1.5 | 4,900 |
| 2024 | 2B | −1 | −1 | 0.0 | −1.0 | 70 |
| 2024 | 1B | +2 | +2 | −1.0 | +1.0 | 4,779 |
| 2023 | 2B | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 38 |
| 2023 | 1B | 0 | 0 | +0.1 | +0.1 | 38 |
| 2023 | 3B | −4 | −3 | +0.5 | −2.5 | 427 |
Runs = range plus his arm and double-play runs spread over his positions by outs (Fielding Run Value, from 2023): what the rating counts.
At 1B in 2026, the biggest loss came toward 3B line (−3 outs): a coaching target.
Tools (percentile; arm among 1Bs)| Season | Zone | Balls | Outs vs. exp. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 1B | 339 | +7.4 |
| 2025 | 1B | 277 | +1.0 |
| 2024 | 1B | 258 | +2.4 |
The zone rating counts every ball hit to his part of the field while he played there, his club’s positioning included; Savant OAA uses his actual starting spot and is the better individual grade. They agree best in the outfield. See the model card.
Contract & projection
Club control (RosterResource) · Keystone projected WAR
* projected arbitration or minimum salary. Contract Studio →
ABS challenges · 2026
Baseball Savant