NEWSLETTER
I, for one, am incredibly thankful for the wonderful day of performances from top prospects in the Cubs minor league system yesterday. It’s a perfect palette cleanser on this off-day following a series we all want to forget.
Later today, we’ll dive into the on-going conversations for Kyle Hendricks (boo) and the Christopher Morel (hooray!), but how about Michael Busch? The guys just keeps on doing his thing. With another homer and two walks, Busch is up to .270/.364/.486 (132 wRC+), and his command of the strikezone and overall patience is exactly as advertised (13.6% walk rate). As of today, his 23.5% O-swing rate is among the top-70 in MLB (league average is 27.5%). But of all the hitters ahead of him on that list, only 16 have a higher in-zone swing rate (and two of them are his teammates!). In other words, Busch has been making excellent swing decisions relative to the rest of the league. And it’s probably a good thing we’re happy with Busch, because Zyhir Hope (the second, lesser piece in that trade) is off to a really good start during his first taste of A-Ball. Through just 24 plate appearances, Hope has three walks, a single, three doubles, three homers, two stolen bases, a HBP, and just four strikeouts. His slash line: .350/.458/.950 for a 19-year-old outfielder in A-ball. Not bad. Baseball America recently ranked him as one of their “helium picks,” which, well, good for him and the Dodgers. I guess: “The Scoop: The Dodgers added Hope and Jackson Ferris in the January trade that shipped Michael Busch to the Cubs. Chicago had drafted Hope out of high school in the 11th round last year and paid him $400,000, the equivalent of fifth-round money. He has outstanding speed and quick hands that helped him crush three early home runs in California League play, including one with a 113 mph exit velocity. The power is real. If Hope hits, he could take off as a prospect. (ME)
