The Los Angeles Dodgers got an early glimpse of their future last season, as the likes of Gavin Lux, Dustin May and Will Smith all made noteworthy contributions at the Major League level.
One player that could soon factor into the equation is Michael Busch, who was drafted by the Dodgers with the 31st overall pick in the 2019 MLB Draft.
The University of North Carolina product appeared in only 10 games across two different affiliates during his first professional season, but evidently caught the eye of a few scouts.
Ahead of his first full year with the Dodgers, Busch was ranked among the top-10 second base prospects for the 2020 season by MLB Pipeline.
The 22-year-old placed sixth on the list, ahead of the Cleveland Indians’ Aaron Bracho, Chicago Cubs’ Chase Strumpf, Pittsburgh Pirates’ Ji-Hwan Bae and Arizona Diamondbacks’ Andy Young.
Colorado Rockies prospect Brendan Rodgers topped the rankings, followed by the Chicago White Sox’s Nick Madrigal, Tampa Bay Rays’ Vidal Brujan and Xavier Edwards, and Texas Rangers’ Nick Solak, in that order.
Busch began his career with the Arizona League Dodgers last July, appearing in five games before earning a promotion to Low-A Great Lakes.
Unfortunately for Busch, his time in the Midwest League was limited to another five-game stretch after sustaining a hand injury. Between the two affiliates, he batted just .125/.371/.125 with three hits, five runs scored and seven walks in 35 plate appearances.
After being sidelined for the remainder of the regular season, Busch didn’t return to action until October, as part of an assignment to the Glendale Desert Dogs of the Arizona Fall League.
Busch took advantage of the unique opportunity to face top prospects in the AFL, hitting .231/.545/.462 with three hits, one home run and nine walks across 22 plate appearances (five games).
In addition to his solid offensive showing, Busch expanded his defensive versatility by learning a new position. Though traditionally a first baseman in college, he primarily played second base during his first professional season.
Busch enjoyed the experience and believes having the ability to play multiple positions can be beneficial to an organization.
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