The left-handed hitting tool of Michael Busch is one of the biggest topics in the Dodgers Minor League system, and for good reason, it’s big league. Dodgers fans who aren’t familiar with his name yet soon will be as he was added to the 40-man roster this week which means his Major League debut will most likely be next year. 

3 Sport Standout

Busch grew up in Minnesota and was the #3 overall baseball player coming out of Simley High School which is just a hop, skip, and a jump south of the Minneapolis/St. Paul Metroplex.  He was also the quarterback on his High School football team, a star on the Hockey rink, and was ranked as the #1 shortstop in Minnesota in 2016.

Yes, that’s correct, he was a heavily recruited Short Stop in High School, a fact that should provide Dodgers fans comfort about his ability to play 2nd base.

Here’s what he had to say about the different positions he has played.

Yeah, I grew up a short-stop, but when I got to North Carolina first base was kind of the only position that was open my freshman year so I went over there. It went pretty well and I just stuck over there. That was my spot over there and I took full support of it because, honestly, I was just glad to get on the field.

Busch just finished his 3rd year with the Dodgers and is rounding into a very good offensive player. He hit .413 in September to end the 2021 season, and since the beginning of July of 2021, he has hit .281 and 46 home runs.

When asked how he developed his hit tool and who to credit, he was quick to mention his coaches and the fact that he has 2 brothers and 5 sisters that were always in the backyard playing some kind of sport.

I was fortunate to have coaches growing up that really cared about the younger generation in our city. The amount of work we put in was probably a lot more than the other kids in the summer over 4 or 5 months, so the work they put in with us I think went a long way.

Busch went on to talk about growing up playing sports.

My 2 brothers were also baseball players and we were always in the backyard hitting Wiffle balls and doing other stuff, and whatever it was we were doing, there were a lot of swings to be had as a kid.

Feature Cut

When breaking down why Michael Busch is such a great hitter, it’s hard to find a starting point because he does so many things well. But, let’s simply start with how well he hits the ball where it’s pitched. In the following video, you will see a pitch on the outer half that Busch hits to left field, a pitch that is center cut that he hits up the middle, and a pitch that is high and tight that he turns on and hits to right field.

Timing?

Another thing that Busch does is that he keeps his hands back and is able to make hard contact even when his timing isn’t perfect. In professional baseball, a hitter’s timing is very rarely going to be perfect, so hitting is less about having perfect timing, and more about being able to make hard contact when your timing isn’t perfect. Here’s another video showing how good Busch is at this skill.

Busch As a Dodger

Busch is very happy to be a Dodger and loves the “Culture” the organization creates. Here’s what he had to say about the environment the Dodgers create for their players.

You know in High School and College you’re around the guys 24/7 so you’re very tight-knit, and coming into pro ball I didn’t really know what to expect. But being with Tulsa for my first full season in 2021 was awesome because it was a great group of guys that were selfless and willing to put in the work on and off the field.

Both on that team and this past year in OKC we had guys that enjoyed being around each other and creating a good culture. I think that’s a testament to the Dodgers and the guys that they draft because they are great on the field, but are very good in the clubhouse as well which is part of a winning program.

Future Is Now

The Dodgers have tried creating versatility with the Minnesota native by playing him at different positions, including left field, to pair with his periodic work at 1st and everyday work at 2nd base. Make no mistake, Busch can hit, and if he sticks in the MLB, his hit tool will be the main reason. But that’s not to say that he can’t or won’t become a serviceable defensive player as well. He, most definitely, is athletic and skilled enough to play 2nd base at the Major League level.

Busch played mainly at 1st base in college at North Carolina, but it’s important to emphasize that it had more to do with getting on the field in the fastest amount of time than it did about where he profiled best. And, by the time he could have moved to shortstop or 2nd base for the Tar Heels, he already had laid claim to first base and there was no pressing need to move someone that was hitting that well. 

Busch was placed on the 40-man, so Dodgers fans should assume that he will make his MLB debut next year in 2023.  Any time prospects get pulled up to L.A., it’s always an interesting dynamic because the club is in “win-now” mode every year. Dodgers fans don’t have a lot of time for projection, and typically only care about whether that player can help at that moment. 

 So breaking through and getting comfortable in an organization that is as successful as the Dodgers are each year is very, very tough, and prospects need to hit the ground running. But, the good thing about Busch is that he’s done that before, on a loaded North Carolina team as a true freshman, so he at least knows how that process works. So we’ll see how his transition will go, as Busch takes his professional hit tool to the MLB.