Back in January of 2024, the Chicago Cubs made a surprising move to acquire infielder Michael Busch from the Los Angeles Dodgers. In exchange, the Cubs sent pitching prospect Jackson Ferris and outfielder Zyhir Hope to the Dodgers. 

In his first year in Chicago, Busch showed a ton of great things. He hit .248 with 21 home runs, 28 doubles, and 65 RBI across 152 games. The left-handed slugger really surprised a lot of fans during that 2024 season, with a consistent bat in the lineup and an above-average glove at first base. 

However, Busch took his game to another level in 2025. He posted career-highs in batting average (.261), home runs (34), RBI (90), and WAR (4.5). Those 34 home runs led all Cubs players, and his 90 RBI only trailed Seiya Suzuki (103) and Pete Crow-Armstrong (95) for the team lead. 

Busch also emerged as one of the best-hitting first basemen in the entire sport. He ranked third in home runs, third in OPS (.866), first in triples (five), second in slugging (.523), and tied for fifth in RBI among all first basemen this past season. 

Those numbers prove just how great Busch was for this Cubs team in 2025. He finished with a career-high 4.5 WAR, and his 4.4 offensive WAR was tied with Pete Alonso for the highest offensive WAR among all National League first basemen. 

In every way possible, Busch was one of the biggest breakout players in baseball. His metrics also back up his incredible season at the plate. His xwOBA (.392), expected slugging (.569), average exit velocity (92.2 mph), barrel rate (17.1%), and launch angle sweet-spot rate (41.1%) all ranked in the top 10% of the league. 

Most importantly, the Minnesota native became a reliable bat at the top of Chicago’s lineup. Craig Counsell first moved Busch to the leadoff spot in mid-July amid Ian Happ’s struggles offensively, and the slugging first baseman gave the Cubs some spark in that role. 

Busch was 12-for-46 (.261 batting average) with five home runs and three doubles in his 52 at-bats as the Cubs' first batter of the game. That success then carried over into the postseason, where he had two leadoff home runs in the National League Division Series against the Milwaukee Brewers. 

All in all, it was a fantastic season for Busch. He was arguably the Cubs' best hitter throughout the year, and his four postseason homers led the team. At 27 years old, the first baseman is just entering the prime of his career. 

Although the prospects that Chicago gave up to acquire Busch are currently ranked 20th and 98th on MLB Pipeline’s Top 100 rankings, that deal was a major win for Jed Hoyer. 

2025 Grade: A