Busch Up
Michael Busch (CHC): 3-5, 2B, HR, 2 R, RBI.
After a historic Fourth of July performance, the Cubs’ offense couldn’t make it two in a row against the rival Cardinals. They lost 8-6 to St. Louis on Saturday and were limited to two home runs, compared to the eight they hit on Friday.
Even though the Cubs had a “down” performance in the second game of the series at Wrigley Field, that didn’t seem to stop Michal Busch from continuing his hot streak at the plate.
Busch collected three hits, scored two runs, and hit another home run on Saturday after hitting three on Friday. That brings his total to 18 for the season, with 11 in June and July. Last year, he hit 21 home runs in 567 plate appearances. This season, he’s three away from that mark and has done it in only 313 plate appearances.
It’s not just home runs where Busch has thrived. He’s improved across the board offensively with a .293 average, .377 OBP, .562 SLG, and .939 OPS. All those metrics are significant improvements from his 2024 lines (.248/.335/.440 and .775 OPS). Thus, Busch has been an incredibly valuable fantasy player, regardless of the scoring format.
The Cubs will be in pre-arbitration with Busch for at least one more year, which should keep his cost down. That said, he could get expensive in 2027, when his arbitration clock begins. Chicago doesn’t have a whole lot of first base options lingering in the Minor Leagues, but they have other high-profile players that they will have to make decisions on. One of those players is Pete Crow-Armstrong, who also will begin his arbitration clock at the same time as Busch.
Will Jed Hoyer pay Busch, Crow-Armstrong, or both, or neither? The Cubs have shown instances where they’ve opened up the checkbook for popular players (Ian Happ). However, they have also let popular players walk, which has worked to their benefit in some cases (Kris Bryant).
Safe to say, the longer the Cubs wait on Busch, the more expensive he could get by the time 2027 arrives.
Let’s see how the other hitters did Saturday
Pete Alonso (NYM): 2-4, 2 HR, 3 R, 5 RBI, BB.
The Mets continued to add to the Yankees’ woes on Saturday, winning Game 2 of the Subway Series in Queens 12-6. Alonso led the way with two home runs and five RBI. After nearly walking away from the Mets this past offseason, Alonso has bounced back with one of his best seasons yet, as evidenced by his 20 home runs and .929 OPS this year.
Matt Olson (ATL): 3-3, 2B, HR, 2 R, 2 RBI, 2 BB.
Atlanta is a mess, and its woes continued on Saturday, as the team lost 9-6 at home against the Orioles. However, Olson has been a bright spot with 17 home runs and an .867 OPS in 387 plate appearances. After posting a .790 OPS a year ago, the 31-year-old first baseman is poised to surpass that significantly, which could help Atlanta build some momentum for 2026.
Miguel Rojas (LAD): 2-2, HR, R, 3 RBI, BB.
The Dodgers only lost by two runs this time instead of 17, as was the case on Friday. (Happy Fourth, Dodgers fans!) They did score four runs, and Rojas did his part with a home run and three RBI. With a .254 average, .702 OPS, and four home runs in 122 plate appearances, Rojas may be one of the best nine-hole hitters in the league.
Lenyn Sosa (CHW): 2-4, 2B, HR, 2 R, 2 RBI.
The White Sox are doing their best to keep the Rockies down and on pace to break the 2024 White Sox’s loss record. Sosa did his part on Saturday with two hits, two RBI, and his sixth homer of the year. The 25-year-old middle infielder has seen some progress with the White Sox this year, as he is hitting .272 with a .708 OPS in 262 plate appearances. Sosa is doing his best to prove that he could be part of this team’s long-term future.
Ceddanne Rafaela (BOS): 2-4, 2B, HR, R, 3 RBI.
Rafaela seemed to keep his focus on baseball instead of other activities in the Nation’s capital, and it seemed to pay off on Saturday. He had two hits, collected three RBI, and hit his 10th home run of the year. The 24-year-old also has 11 stolen bases and a .739 OPS in 315 plate appearances this season. It seems like Rafaela is finally living up to his once massive prospect hype.
Kyle Schwarber (PHI): 1-3, HR, 2 R, 2 RBI, BB.
It was a classic Schwarber performance on Saturday. He only had one hit, but that hit was his 27th home run of the season. He also walked for good measure. For the year, Schwarber is hitting only .250, but his OBP is .382 and his OPS is .922, which more than compensates for his mediocre batting average. His OPS is his highest mark since 2021, and he could be due for a 40-HR season by the end of 2025.
Nolan Gorman (STL): 2-4, HR, 2 R, 2 RBI.
The Cardinals bounced back after Friday’s embarrassing performance at Wrigley Field with a two-run win on Saturday. Gorman was key as he scored two runs, collected two RBI, and hit a home run (he was also on when Yohel Pozo hit his clutch three-run home run in the eighth off of Chicago’s Brad Keller). Gorman hasn’t been a serious fantasy player for about two years now, but it’s games like this that make him a tempting waiver wire option for desperate managers in deep leagues.
George Springer (TOR): 2-6, HR, R, 2 RBI.
The Summer of George continues! Spring had two hits on Saturday, including his 16th home run of the year. He’s been on a hot streak in July, as he’s hitting .545 with a 1.827 OPS and five home runs in 25 plate appearances. For context, he only had three in June and two in April. He did have six in May, but he’s bound to pass that soon, perhaps as soon as tomorrow in Sunday’s series finale against the Angels.
Spencer Torkelson (DET): 2-4, HR, R, RBI.
The Tigers only had two hits and scored one run. That lone run (and one of two hits) came from Torkelson, who hit a solo home run in the top of the second against Cleveland’s Logan Allen. Based on that, one would ask how badly the Tigers lost, right? Nope. The Tigers won 1-0, handing Cleveland their ninth-straight loss of the year. The defending AL Central winners are now 40-47 and in fourth place in the Central, 14.5 games behind Torkelson and the division-leading Tigers.
