Michael Busch is walking a lot more this year

Michael Busch has quietly been one of the better Cubs hitters recently and has notably increased his walk rate so far this season. Last year, he walked at a 9.5% clip in 155 games during his 140 wRC+ season. He is currently walking at a 15.3% clip this year.

To put that into perspective, Busch has drawn 50 walks in 326 plate appearances heading into Friday’s action. Last year, he drew a total of 56 walks in 592 plate appearances. He needs 13 more walks to tie his career-high (63).

Comparing Busch’s walking ability to last year

MLB: Chicago Cubs at Cincinnati Reds, Michael Busch — MLB: Chicago Cubs at Cincinnati Reds May 25, 2025; Cincinnati, Ohio, USA; Chicago Cubs first baseman Michael Busch (29) hits a RBI single in the seventh inning against the Cincinnati Reds at Great American Ball Park. Mandatory Credit: Katie Stratman-Imagn Images

One could think Busch’s chase rate would be notably better than last year, but that is not the case. This year it is in the 79^th percentile, while last year it was in the 82^nd percentile. Both exceptionally good, identical marks. His overall strikeout rates (23.5% in 2025 vs. 22.7% in 2026) and whiff rates (41st percentile vs. 43rd percentile) are also identical.

Several metrics that stand out include his overall swing percentage decrease from 46.6% to 41%, which is mainly attributed to his swinging at fewer pitches in the zone (68.3% to 61%). He is also seeing fewer pitches in the zone (45.4%) than last year (52.1%) and getting first pitch strikes less frequently (65.4% in 2025 vs. 59.8% in 2026).

Being more selective on pitches in the zone, getting more pitches outside the zone, and seeing more pitches per plate appearance (3.92 to 4.02) creates higher walk chances. We have seen him really grind at times at the plate, making more contact on the few outside pitches he does swing at (46.7% to 54.4%). To sum it up, he is not walking more because he is chasing or whiffing less, but because more opportunities to walk are being created.

This is all obviously based on a smaller sample size this year, vs. all of last year. With that said, being six walks away from last year’s season total on June 18^th speaks volumes.

Busch’s numbers reflect his approach.

MLB: Chicago Cubs at Colorado Rockies Sep 15, 2024; Denver, Colorado, USA; Chicago Cubs first baseman Michael Busch (29) celebrates in the dugout on a solo home run in the ninth inning against the Colorado Rockies at Coors Field. Mandatory Credit: Isaiah J. Downing-Imagn Images

As of Thursday, he sports a .377 OBP on the year and is one of 25 qualified hitters with an OBP of .375 or higher in baseball.

It is worth noting that through 326 plate appearances last year, Busch was slashing .297/.383/.559 with 18 homers. The walks were at 34 vs. 50 through 326 plate appearances this year, but he was hitting and slugging way better over that stretch. He was also platooning at times with Justin Turner. He then hit .218/.293/.479 over his final 266 plate appearances, ending with the .343 OBP and 34 homers.

Time will tell how the increased walk rate will translate after 162. If he keeps up this rate, the OBP will likely be higher than last year. However, it does not seem like the power and slug numbers will be quite the same as last year, which looked like an anomaly based on preseason projections. One could argue that generating more power vs. drawing more walks is more ideal for this team, but we will see how it plays out.

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