MINNEAPOLIS — Target Field was the first major-league baseball diamond that Cubs first baseman Michael Busch set foot on.
About a decade ago, Busch ran through infield practice and a quick few rounds of batting practice for a showcase at the Twins’ stadium when he was a multisport athlete at Simley Senior High School in nearby Inver Grove Heights, he said.
“It’s been a while since I’ve been back,” Busch said Tuesday before the Cubs’ 8-1 loss in the series opener against the Twins. “I don’t spend a lot of time in Minnesota, especially in the summer. So just coming back, and so much support from the community and coaches and teachers and especially family. It’s just been a really cool, special little reminder of how I grew up.”
The game marked Busch’s first time playing at Target Field in his major-league career. The hometown kid entered the series with the third-highest OPS (.950) in the National League among qualified hitters, behind only the Dodgers’ Shohei Ohtani and Will Smith.
At the halfway point of the season, Cubs leadoff hitter Ian Happ was asked what underrated factors have fueled the Cubs’ offensive consistency this season.
Without missing a beat, Happ quipped: “Michael Busch.”
Consistency has been a hallmark of Busch’s second full major-league season.
“One of the reasons why he’s been able to lengthen out some good stretches is … he’s covering more of the strike zone well,” manager Craig Counsell said. “And that’s just going to lead to more hits. And even when pitchers get it there, he still can do something with it — where you’re not just waiting for mistakes in your little, small area.”
The difference from last year to this is the starkest on the outer third of the plate and the top of the strike zone, areas that were holes in Busch’s swing his rookie year.
This year, Busch has a .806 slugging percentage on pitches on the outer third of the plate and about belt high, according to Statcast. Even the area of the strike zone just above that is a hot spot, generating a .667 slugging percentage.
Cubs hitting coach Dustin Kelly points to one swing adjustment over the offseason as the major factor in erasing those holes.
“The work last year was … concerned with trying to keep his barrel tip under control,” Kelly said in a conversation Tuesday with the Sun-Times. “And it was always kind of a battle for him. He’d always tip his barrel late, and then he would kind of lose his barrel on the back end.”
When Busch returned this spring, he was keeping his bat on his shoulder as long as he could in order to address the issue. He also has been able to keep his weight back while throwing his hands to the ball to catch it out in front.
That has allowed him to stay through pitches, especially those on the outer half of the plate and “manage the top” of the strike zone, as Kelly puts it.
“I’ve always had a ton of confidence that he was going to be a really good hitter in this league,” said Kelly, who also overlapped with Busch in the Dodgers’ organization. “So I’m super proud, and I’m happy for him. But I’m not all that surprised either.”
On Monday, Busch was named co-National League Player of the Week, sharing the honor with Phillies pitcher Zack Wheeler. Over the last week, Busch went 13-for-23 for an MLB-best .565 batting average. His 1.174 slugging percentage also led the majors. He hit four home runs, three of which came in the Cubs’ 11-3 win against the Cardinals on Friday.
“Sometimes it’s ups and downs, just running that,” Busch said. “I’ve been really confident with my swing since spring training.”