Michael Busch says he is still trying to find his stride, and that makes his power numbers one of the more interesting questions around the Cubs as the season moves toward its decisive stages.
The Cubs have been productive even without Busch at full throttle, with the offense described on Monday as baseball’s highest-scoring team. But Busch’s own standard remains part of the story. A season ago, he was the Cubs’ home-run leader with 34. This year he has 16, which is a strong total in its own right but still well short of last season’s pace.
On Monday in PHOENIX, Busch was straightforward about where he stands. He said he does not feel like he has tapped into what he is capable of, and that the early part of the season took him longer than he would have hoped as he worked to find a groove and rhythm.
Counsell still sees time for the power to come
Craig Counsell has not written off the idea that Busch can still deliver the type of power run the Cubs were hoping for. On Sunday, Counsell said Busch still had a six-week stretch where his power could come.
Counsell also pointed back to what Busch was able to do last year. He said Busch had an incredible offensive season, and noted the natural expectation that comes when a young player produces at that level. The reality, though, is that this season has not quite matched that previous standard in the home run column.
Busch’s first 51 games were a slow opening, with a.224 batting average, four home runs and a.361 slugging percentage. Since then, over his next 78 games, he has improved to.256 with 12 home runs and a.416 slugging percentage. That is a stronger second-half line, but it still leaves open the bigger question: can he get back to the version of himself that changes a lineup?
Busch is searching for the version of himself that can carry more
Busch did not hide from the standard. “I feel like I’m not tapping into what I’m capable of, in a sense,” he said. He added that the early stretch of the season, while he was trying to find a groove, “took me a little longer than I would have hoped.”
He also said the process has taught him about his swing and what makes him click, even if he still does not feel he has hit a stride. That is the key point for the Cubs. Busch is not just chasing numbers. He is trying to find the level that would make him a more consistent middle-of-the-order threat.
The power is still there in the background. Counsell believes it can come in the final six weeks, and Busch is continuing to work toward it. If that version arrives, it could give the Cubs another layer heading into the stretch that matters most.
Ben Brown’s return is being handled carefully
There was also cautious progress for Ben Brown, whose return remains under management after a neck vertebra stress fracture. Should one more round of live batting practice go well, he could soon begin a minor league rehab assignment.
That would be another step forward for the Cubs as they balance performance and health. For now, though, Busch remains the more immediate offensive question: can he find the stride he says he is still chasing before the season reaches its final phase?
