Tag: Michael Busch

Michael Busch ties Chicago Cubs franchsie record

Michael Busch has tied a Chicago Cubs franchise record with a home run on Monday night.

Former North Carolina Tar Heel Michael Busch is finding his ways in Chicago.

After being traded by the Los Angeles Dodgers to the Chicago Cubs this offseason , Busch has found his role with the team. He’s getting the chance to start almost every day at first base and he’s making the most of it.

On Monday night in Arizona, Busch tied a Chicago Cubs franchise record with his home run in the second inning. Busch has now homered in five-straight games which has tied the record for the Cubs.

Check out Busch’s latest home run to give the Cubs a early 1-0 lead in Arizona:

Busch tied Hack Wilson (1928), Ryne Sandberg (1989), Sammy Sosa (1998) and Christopher Morel (2023) as players to homer in five straight games in franchise history.

It’s nice to see Busch get his chance and find a role with his new home. That’s what he struggled with during his time with the Dodgers. Going into Monday’s game, Busch was hitting .327 with five homers and 11 RBI’s on the year. He’s now added to that total with six homers and 12 RBI’s.

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Former Diamond Heel Michael Busch taking advantage of starting opportunity in MLB

Michael Busch, who starred at UNC from 2017-2019, is one of the MLB’s best young hitters this year.

Getting chosen in the MLB Draft is every young baseball player’s dream.

Hundreds of players are selected across 20 rounds, but only a select few progress enough through the plentiful levels of minor league baseball.

One of those select few who rose through the minor leagues is former UNC baseball player Michael Busch, a 2019 first-round selection by the Los Angeles Dodgers. Busch led North Carolina to three NCAA Tournament Appearances, highlighted by a 2018 College World Series berth, by hitting for a .282 career batting average with 32 home runs and 142 RBIs.

Busch spent the 2019, 2021, 2022 and 2023 season playing for four separate Dodger affiliates, compiling a .283 average and earning an MLB call-up in 2023. He was traded to the Chicago Cubs in January, as Freddie Freeman made Busch’s path to a starting first base gig significantly tougher.

After hitting under the Mendoza Line (.200 batting average) for the Dodgers last year, Busch is amongst the MLB’s best hitters in the Windy City this year.

Busch enjoyed a strong Sunday to further boost his season stats, going 2-for-4 with a homer and two RBIs in Chicago’s 3-2 win over the Seattle Mariners. He is now hitting .327 (25th-best in the MLB) with five home runs (sixth-most) and 11 RBIs.

Busch’s home run total and batting average also have him tops on the Cubs (9-6), who are tied for second in a stacked NL Central.

So far this year, Busch is proving he’s Chicago’s first baseman of the future. He’s just 26, so we could see the former Diamond Heel in the Windy City for a long time.

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WATCH: Former Diamond Heel Michael Busch homers against old team

It’s always tough leaving the team that drafted you, but performing well against them is a sweet sense of satisfaction. Michael Busch, the former UNC baseball star now on the Chicago Cubs, went yard against the Los Angeles Dodgers on Friday afternoon.

We’re just over a week into Major League Baseball season and – let me just say – I am excited for it.

Several players have found new homes, most notably Shohei Ohtani with the Los Angeles Dodgers and Juan Soto with the New York Yankees. Top prospects in the minor leagues are proving themselves worthy of MLB call-ups – has anyone seen what Jackson Holiday and his Norfolk Tides teammates are doing?

Another name you might recognize is Michael Busch, the former UNC baseball standout who’s starting at first base for the Chicago Cubs. Busch was originally the Los Angeles Dodgers’ 2019 first-round pick, but got traded in the offseason.

On Friday afternoon at Wrigley Field, Busch hit his first home run of the 2024 campaign – against the Dodgers.

The homer gave Chicago a much-needed, 4-run cushion. The Cubs nearly gave the lead away in the fifth and seventh innings, but did just enough to win, 9-7, for their fifth-straight victory.

Busch continued his torrid start to the year in Chicago’s win, as he’s now hitting .316 with a home run and two RBIs. As of Friday, April 5 at 6:52 p.m. ET, Busch’s average currently has him 57th in the MLB.

Did Busch just give the Cubs faithful an indication he’s their first baseman of the future?

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Former Diamond Heels standout Michael Busch traded to Chicago Cubs

The Chicago Cubs have acquired a left-handed bat from the Los Angeles Dodgers, getting Michael Busch.

Former North Carolina baseball standout Michael Busch has a new home for the 2024 MLB season. After being drafted by the Los Angeles Dodgers out of UNC, Busch is now heading to the Windy City.

On Thursday, Busch was traded to the Chicago Cubs as part of a package that saw the Dodgers also traded right-handed pitcher Yency Almonte to the Windy City while receiving left-handed pitcher Jackson Ferris and minor league outfielder Zyhir Hope.

The 26-year-old Busch spent most of last season in Triple-A where he hit 27 home runs. He did make an appearance in 27 major league games for the Dodgers but never found his groove.

Busch really didn’t have a set position with the Dodgers, haunting his progress to the majors. But with this trade, Busch could be the answer for the Cubs at third base and gives them a power left-handed bat.

While at Triple-A, Busch slashed .323/.431/.618. He was considered one of the top prospects for the Dodgers in their organization.

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WATCH: Michael Busch hits his first Major League homer

Former North Carolina Tar Heel Michael Busch delivers his first major league homer Thursday night for the LA Dodgers.

Former North Carolina Tar Heel [autotag]Michael Busch[/autotag] has hit his first major league homer, giving Dodger fans a glimpse of what is to come.

Busch has been lights out in the minors, bouncing back and forth between the LA Dodgers and their Triple-A affiliate, Oklahoma City Dodgers. Busch has 114 hits, 82 RBI, and 24 home runs this season for OKC.

After another call-up to the Majors, Busch took advantage of the spotlight; in the fourth inning against the Cleveland Indians, he blasted the ball to centerfield for a monstrous home run to break the 2-2 tie.

Busch has been the ideal rookie for the Dodgers. At 25 years old, Busch has shown the ability to make the play when it matters most while showing a consistent bat.

In 17 games with the Dodgers, Busch has mustered ten hits, six RBI, and now a homer.

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Michael Busch still ranked among top 50 prospects

Former North Carolina baseball standout Michael Busch is still a top 50 prospect in all of baseball.

Former North Carolina baseball standout Michael Busch is getting an extended look at the major leagues this year, earning some time up with the Los Angeles Dodgers.

The utility man was first called up earlier this season and got some playing time before being optioned back down to triple-a. But now Busch is back up in the majors as Max Muncy is dealing with a hamstring injury. Busch has been playing third base for the team and had a nice little series against the Houston Astros over the weekend.

As Busch is up with the big league club, he still hasn’t graduated out of prospect status.

On Monday, Busch was named as a top 50 prospect in all of baseball by MLB.com. He checked in at No. 38 overall and is the No. 3 player in the Dodgers farm system.

A problem for Busch was a crowded infield for the Dodgers at the major league level, leading him to try different spots on the field. He’s turned into a bit of a utility man as a prospect in hopes of finding a permanent home.

If anything, Busch is getting another chance to show the organization that he does belong up at the big league level.

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Michael Busch continues hot hitting streak

Former Tar Heel Michael Busch continues hot hitting streak with the Dodgers Triple-A affiliate OKC Dodgers.

Former Tar Heel [autotag]Michael Busch[/autotag] continues to swing his name into significant league conversations after another extraordinary hitting performance Sunday.

Busch made his major league debut in April for the Los Angeles Dodgers, filling in for Max Muncy, who went on the paternity list. Busch did not take long to get his first hit with the Dodgers, delivering an RBI single as a designated hitter.

Since then, Busch has kept his bat hot, even with going back to the Dodgers Triple-A affiliate OKC Dodgers.

Sunday night, Busch went 3 for 6, including 3 RBIs and a home run. That home run would be Busch’s third homer in four games with OKC.

Busch continues to be one of the hottest prospects in the pipeline, being among the first to be called if needed. The former Tar Heel will be back in action Tuesday against the Salt Lake Bees.

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Michael Busch had a good showing with Dodgers

Los Angeles Dodgers manager Dave Roberts praised Michael Busch on his recent call-up to the big leagues.

Former North Carolina Tar Heels’ standout Michael Busch received a taste of the major leagues this year, coming up to the Los Angeles Dodgers a few weeks back.

He appeared in 7 games with 23 plate appearances and 19 at-bats for Los Angeles to fill in for Max Muncy while he was on the paternity list. Busch ended up staying with the team due to an injury.

And it sounds like he made the most of it by catching manager Dave Roberts’ attention.

“Michael had a good showing,” Roberts said via Dodger Blue. “He’s going to play some third base, some second base, some first base. Really proud of the way he handled that big spot.

“Every young player wants to play, but the message was he took full advantage of watching Major League players and how the game is supposed to be played; the intensity, the focus.

“I expect him to take that with him and join us again at some other point in the season.”

For Busch, the knock on him as a prospect has been where he would play in the field. The Dodgers are set at a lot of positions, so Busch getting work around the infield to take on a utility role makes sense.

With the Dodgers expecting him back up at some point this year, getting this early look at the majors should be beneficial for him.

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Michael Busch gets first career hit for Los Angeles Dodgers

Former UNC baseball standout Michael Busch got his first career hit with the Los Angeles Dodgers.

It didn’t take long for former North Carolina baseball standout Michael Busch to make an impact for the Los Angeles Dodgers. After the infield prospect was promoted to the big leagues this week with Max Muncy going on the paternity list, Busch has appeared in both games so far.

On Tuesday night in Pittsburgh, Busch singled in the top of the sixth inning to drive in a run and cut into the Pirates lead. It was the first career hit for Busch in his first game in the big leagues.

Busch got the start as a designated hitter on Tuesday and then as a third baseman in Wednesday’s game.

Busch has been moved around a bit in the minor leagues in terms of a position, taking on a utility man role.

Playing third base is newer to him as he’s only been there 10 times in his minor league career. As Busch looks to make an early impression, he can use this short stint to hopefully build some confidence.

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Former Tar Heels standout Michael Busch gets call up

Former UNC baseball standout Michael Busch will be promoted to the Los Angeles Dodgers this week.

Former North Carolina Tar Heels baseball player Michael Busch is getting a brief call-up to the majors with the Los Angeles Dodgers.

The Los Angeles Times’ Jorge Castillo reported on Monday that the Dodgers are promoting Busch to the active roster with Max Muncy going on the paternity list. With Busch being on the 40-man roster, there won’t be another move to in correspondence.

With Los Angeles not playing on Monday, the move should officially be announced on Tuesday as the team opens up a series against the Pittsburgh Pirates.

For Busch, he gets a brief chance to make an impression for the Dodgers after embracing a utility man role during spring training and early in the minor league season.

In 21 games this season, Busch is hitting .337 with a .967 OPS. He’s played a few different spots on the infield as well.

The former first-round pick is currently ranked as the Dodgers No. 3 prospect this year.

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