The Chicago Cubs landed in the franchise history books again on Saturday thanks to first baseman Michael Busch. In the top of the first inning of Game 1 of the NLDS at American Family Field against the Milwaukee Brewers, Busch launched a leadoff home run on the fourth pitch he saw from Freddy Peralta, giving the Cubs an early 1-0 lead and joining an exclusive club—even as starter Matthew Boyd failed to escape the bottom half of the inning and the Brewers surged ahead 6–1 by the end of the frame.
The blast marked just the third leadoff homer in Cubs postseason history, joining Bob Dernier’s Game 1 shot in the 1984 NLCS vs. the San Diego Padres and Dexter Fowler’s historic Game 7 blast in the 2016 World Series vs. the Cleveland Guardians. Nearly a decade later, Busch’s swing brought back memories of the team’s 108-year title drought ending — and gave fans a jolt of belief that a new October story could be unfolding.
ESPN’s Jesse Rogers posted to X (formerly known as Twitter) to highlight the historic moment, noting that Busch joined rare company in franchise postseason history.
“Michael Busch is the 3rd Cubs player to hit a postseason leadoff HR, joining Dexter Fowler in Game 7 of the 2016 World Series at Cleveland and Bob Dernier in Game 1 of the 1984 NLCS vs the Padres.”
Busch’s breakout moment comes on the heels of a career-best season. In 155 games in 2025, the 27-year-old slugger posted a .261 batting average with 137 hits, 34 home runs, 90 RBIs, and 78 runs scored. After transitioning to first base full-time following his trade from the Los Angeles Dodgers, he became one of Chicago’s most consistent power bats.
He also entered October red-hot. Over his last 10 games of the regular season, Busch hit .394 with 5 homers and 9 RBIs. In the Cubs’ wildcard series win over the Padres, he batted .400 with a homer and 4 hits across 3 games. After his Game 1 leadoff shot, his 2025 postseason line climbed to .455 with 5 hits, 2 homers, and 2 RBIs in 4 games.
For the Cubs, the leadoff homer was more than just a highlight—it was one of the few early bright spots in an NLDS matchup against a top-seeded Brewers team that finished with MLB’s best regular-season record. Despite falling behind quickly in Game 1, Busch’s swing showed he came ready for the moment, delivering power that could still play a role if Chicago finds a way to claw back into the game—and the series.
