The Chicago Cubs made a huge trade in January 2024 that at the time just seemed kind of interesting.
But about 20 months later, it's been critical to their success that they acquired Michael Busch from the Los Angeles Dodgers.
The Cubs had to trade outfielder Zyhir Hope and lefty Jackson Ferris to get Busch and reliever Yency Almonte. Hope has developed into a promising prospect.
But Busch is a star.
On Wednesday night, Busch blasted his 31st home run of the season. It raised his OPS to .839.
The power surge has been a bit surprising. Busch was regarded as a solid hitter but maybe not someone with prodigious raw power.
In 2024, he slugged .440. This season, he's slugging .499.
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Busch has also lowered his strikeout rate, a huge boost to his ability to do damage in the box.
The Cubs have let different power hitters go through the last handful of years. Kyle Schwarber was a bad loss to the Phillies. Cody Bellinger has been great this year for the Yankees.
But going out to get Busch looks brilliant.
Busch seems like he'll be the first baseman in Chicago for a long time, and he can hit atop the order as needed, too.
Not bad for a mid-winter trade that flew a bit under the radar at the time.
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