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Cubs' Craig Counsell Sends Message to Michael Busch

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Sam Bernardi | Last updated Apr 22, 2025 6:00 AM ET

Kyle Tucker has rightfully earned much of the attention and admiration from Chicago Cubs fans so far, but there is another left-handed bat that has been a key cog in this lineup.

Michael Busch, now in his second full season in the Big Leagues, is having a terrific campaign. The 27-year-old has a .316 batting average, a .994 OPS, a 180 OPS+, and five home runs. His overall averages are way up from his debut 2024 season with Chicago, but he still totaled 21 home runs and a .775 OPS.

This hot start could be a sign of things to come rather than an outlier opening month.

The Cubs’ manager, Craig Counsell, had high praise for his first baseman:

“He’s a good hitter. He’s a young hitter,” Counsell told reporters. “He had a really successful year last year. And I think the goal is, ‘Put 500 plate appearances under your belt. Learn from them. Get a little better from them. Understand what you have to be a little bit better at.’”

Busch still only has 736 career plate appearances, and the 2019 first-round pick of the Los Angeles Dodgers is finally showing off that potential, which landed him so high in the draft.

But Busch and Tucker are not alone in this lineup.

Seiya Suzuki (.268 batting average, .888 OPS, 151 OPS+) and Pete Crow-Armstrong (.258 batting average, .772 OPS, 119 OPS+) are doing well at the plate and should remain cornerstones.

There is Carson Kelly, too, who has only played in 12 of the team’s 24 games, but has a ridiculous .371 batting average, a 1.502 OPS, and a 321 OPS+. These are unsustainable figures, but he has still been a bright spot.

This sneakily fantastic lineup has propelled Chicago to a 14-10 start and to first place in the National League Central. Hopefully for Cubs fans, Busch and others can keep up their impressive performances well into the summer.

This article first appeared on Athlon Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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