Busch’s Raked Beans
Michael Busch (CHC): 3-4, HR, R, 3 RBI.
To quote the Yankees’ sagacious skipper, Aaron Boone: “It’s a long (expletive) season.” One minute you’re hot the next, you are not. Cubs first baseman Michael Busch began the season as a hot commodity hitting .266 with a .833 OPS and six home runs through April. A notable prospect during his time with the Dodgers, Busch, who posted a lusty .449 wOBA across 98 games with Triple-A Oklahoma, seemed like an interesting breakout candidate after being traded to the Cubs during the offseason.
He’s faded since but has seen some positive results lately. Last night, he swatted his 18th dinger of the year, a game-tying three-run shot off Rockies reliever Victor Vodnik in the eighth. Boosted by the thin air in Colorado, the flyball carried some 453 feet to right. Still, boost or not, that’s quite the shot.
Perusing Busch’s PLV profile shows he’s got legit power (118; 100 is average and 15 is about a standard deviation). He’s also shown good knowledge of the strike zone (115 Strikezone Judgement) with decent swing decisions (104 DV). Busch’s .338 wOBA ranks eighth among qualified rookies, although he’s an older one, turning 27 this November. Still, it’s been a solid showing and also one that might get even better with the Cubs finishing the year facing several shaky pitching staffs in the Nationals, A’s, and Reds.
Let’s see how the other hitters did Friday:
Aaron Judge (NYY): 2-3, HR, R, 4 RBI, BB.
The 2022 AL MVP entered last night’s bout against Boston in the Bronx amidst a career-long 16-game home run drought. Wait, you weren’t worried, were you? Were you!?! It’s OK, he really should be more considerate to fantasy managers. Not doing much in April is one thing, but in September, yeah, that’s not what you want. Anyway, last night’s dinger proved the turning point: a go-ahead grand salami off lefty Cam Booser (368 feet, 101.9 EV), upending a 4-1 deficit. Welp, that’s one way to get off the schneid. Insert the “Ight, I’mma head out,” SpongeBob meme for Red Sox fans.
Trevor Story (BOS): 2-4, HR, R, 2 RBI.
Story’s first home run of the season came off Mark Leiter Jr. in the seventh, a two-run Yankee Stadium special that had just enough juice to land in the seats over Juan Soto’s head and into the short porch in right (372 feet, 99.5 EV). Oddly enough, his last home run came on the last Batter’s Box I wrote last year. Yes, I remember weird things like that. Fine, great, who cares? I kind of feel the same way about Story’s return. Still, he’s stolen two bags and has some pop, so who knows? Maybe he can finish the year on a good note.
Dylan Crews (WSN): 1-4, R, 2 SB.
Crews has hit a respectable .248 with a .318 wOBA across 16 games since being called up. His aggressiveness on the bases is good to see as he should make for a well-rounded bat for fantasy purposes. The Nationals, meanwhile, lead baseball with a whopping 207 stolen bases as a team, 10 ahead of the Reds and Elly De La Cruz. If Crews is already rostered in your league (he probably is) you might want to give his teammate Jacob Young a look if you’re really scrambling for steals; he’s tied for ninth with 32.
Hunter Goodman (COL): 3-4, 2 HR, 2 R, 7 RBI.
I’m guilty of burying the lede in last night’s game at Coors. With the bases juiced in the bottom of the eighth and the game tied 5-5, the 24-year-old rookie redirected a hanging slider from Nate Pearson and sent it soaring over Ian Happ’s head for a go-ahead grand slam (413 feet, 103 EV). He also took Cubs starter Javier Assad deep in the second for a two-run tater. Goodman is hitting just .191 this year, but it’s hard to pay much mind to the lackluster results given his grand total of 195 PA. For whatever reason, the Rockies balked at giving him much playing time and sent him down earlier this summer where he posted a .408 wOBA and 133 wRC+ with a 23% K rate across 31 games with Triple-A Albuquerque. Regardless, this monster game gives you an idea of what Goodman might be, i.e. a legit power bat. He’s started 15 games at C, 34 in the OF, and four at 1B. The Rockies, meanwhile, finish the season with 11 of their remaining 14 games at Coors Field. What!? There are only 14 games left!? I know. Goodman seems like a longshot, but the thin air at Coors and his catcher eligibility make for a pretty tempting gamble.
TJ Friedl (CIN): 3-4, HR, 2 R, 3 RBI.
Friedl’s 12th came on a cutter from Bailey Ober. The lefty-hitting outfielder hasn’t done a whole lot hitting .224 with a .688 OPS since returning from the IL on July 26th. His batted ball data doesn’t inspire much excitement either (82 power via PLV; 100 is average). Still, he’s hitting in the middle of the Reds order regularly and has swiped nine bags, so there’s that.
Francisco Alvarez (NYM): 2-4, HR, 2 R, 3 RBI.
Fantasy managers had high hopes for Alvarez this season after he banged 25 dingers in just 423 PA as a rookie in 2023. However, last night’s three-run shot off Aaron Nola just inside the left field foul pole (378 feet, 99.8 EV) was only his eighth in 302 PA. Alvarez has had difficulty translating his exceptional raw power into game power this year with his groundball rate surging nearly nine points to 54.7% (93rd percentile). Still, the two home runs over his past two games illustrate his potential to emerge as a top power-hitting catcher. Don’t forget he’s only 23, so we probably haven’t seen anywhere near his best yet.
Harrison Bader (2-4, 2B, HR, 2 R, 3 RBI) also had a big night in the Mets’ big blowout win over Nola and the Phils at the Bank.
Rhys Hoskins (MIL): 1-3, HR, R, 2 RBI, BB.
Hoskins just hasn’t been the same guy this year after missing all of last season with a torn ACL posting a career-worst .305 wOBA. Still, last night he spoiled an otherwise brilliant performance from Eduardo Rodriguez with a two-run shot off the facing of the second deck in left (424 feet, 105.4 EV). I’ll admit: I like Hoskins a little bit as a bounceback candidate next year, but he’s been so ho-hum for so long this year (100 power via PLV, AKA league-average) that you might be better off chasing other things down the stretch.
Julio Rodríguez (SEA): 4-5, 2B, HR, 2 R, 3 RBI.
J-Rod’s first at-bat ended swinging through a 98.7 mph heater from Jacob deGrom who made his triumphant return to the big league mound last night. After hitting a double off José Ureña in the seventh that led to the Mariners inching closer, he completed the home team’s comeback by belting a hanging curveball from David Robertson to the upper deck in left just inside the foul pole (419 feet, 111.7 EV). Sure, his .309 wOBA, .701 OPS, or however you want to slice it has been disappointing, but he’s still one of the most electric talents in the game. I’ll be fascinated to see what the dip looks like this coming draft season.
Wyatt Langford (TEX): 1-3, HR, 2 R, RBI, 2 BB.
Major League Baseball is hard. On that note, it’s probably a good idea to expect even the biggest prospects to require some time to get their sea legs under them so to speak. Langford, who had a .688 OPS through July, seems to be one of this season’s clear examples. Last night, he grooved a 3-1 changeup from Mariners right-hander Emerson Hancock for his 11th homer (388 feet, 106 EV). If you’re a fan of the PLV rolling charts, Langford’s rolling power makes for a fun look-see. Overall, Langford totes a forgettable .309 wOBA, but he seems like one of the hitters who has really turned eyeballs the most down the stretch and should be a pricey pick in drafts next season. His best is clearly yet to come.
Photo by Chris Leduc/Icon Sportswire | Adapted by Justin Paradis (@JustParaDesigns on Twitter/X)