Subscribe
Follow Us
The Chicago Cubs were unable to run their winning streak up to five straight games Saturday but Michael Busch continued his torrid pace. Chicago's first baseman hit another home run in the 8-6 loss to the St. Louis Cardinals. Busch now has four homers in the last two games for a dominant Cubs' offense.
Even before going 3-5 with a solo shot against the Cardinals on Saturday, the second-year pro had put together a sensational month at the plate. Entering the game Busch had a 1.138 OPS since May 30, the third highest in the majors over that span, per MLB Network’s Taylor McGregor. Only Juan Soto and Aaron Judge topped Busch’s OPS during that stretch.
Michael Busch continues power surge for Cubs
Busch is slashing .293/.377/.562 with 18 home runs, 56 RBI and 43 runs scored in 83 games this season. He’s produced a 162 OPS+ and 3.1 bWAR so far for the Cubs.
However, Busch has been on fire since the end of May. He’s now hitting .362 with a 1.180 OPS over his last 30 games. He has 11 home runs, 27 RBI and 20 runs scored during that stretch.
Busch helped the Cubs’ offense make MLB history in Friday’s win over the Cardinals. Chicago set a franchise record with eight home runs in the game, tying the 1977 Boston Red Sox for the most homers ever hit on the Fourth of July.
Busch contributed three of the eight bombs. He’s now up to four home runs, six RBI and five runs scored in the last two games. He started the series going 7-7, becoming the first Chicago player to do so since Anthony Rizzo in 2016, per ESPN's Jesse Rodgers.
And it’s not the first time he’s gone on an offensive binge. Busch tied a Cubs franchise record by homering in five straight games last year.
Chicago acquired Busch in a trade with the Los Angeles Dodgers prior to the 2024 season. He had been LA’s No. 2 prospect and he made his major league debut with the Dodgers in 2023, playing 27 games that year.
After landing in Chicago, Busch became a mainstay in the Cubs’ lineup. He made the switch from third base to first and hit 21 home runs while producing 2.8 bWAR in 152 games last season.
This year, Busch is on pace for career high marks across the board, providing serious production from a corner infield spot as Chicago eyes a deep playoff run.
