Los Angeles Dodgers prospect Michael Busch was named the 2023 Pacific Coast League MVP after a stellar season with Triple-A Oklahoma City. Busch also earned recognition as the top MLB prospect in the PCL.
Busch hit .323/.431/.618 with 26 doubles, four triples, 27 home runs and 90 RBI in 469 plate appearances over 98 games with Oklahoma City.
Busch led the PCL among qualified hitters in slugging percentage and on-base plus slugging (1.049); and ranked second in batting average; third in on-base percentage; fourth in home runs; and fifth in RBI, extra-base hits (57) and total bases (241).
Busch also went 5-for-13 with two home runs in three postseason games and helped Oklahoma City win its first PCL title since 1996. “Every day Michael showed up and put in the time,” OKC Dodgers manager Travis Barbary said in a statement.
“He’s a pro at everything he does, and it’s allowed him to handle any adversity he’s been through. He’s a special guy that makes everyone around him better.”
Busch is the first Oklahoma City player to be named PCL MVP since Nelson Cruz in 2008 and the sixth in franchise history, joining Dave Roberts (1965), Steve Buechele (1985), Juan González (1990) and Lee Stevens (1996).
Roberts is not the current Dodgers manager, but a Panama-born former first baseman who had a brief Major League career with the Houston Astros and Pittsburgh Pirates.
Busch batted .167/.247/.292 with three doubles, two home runs and seven RBI in 27 games for the Dodgers at the big league level.
Michael Busch named 2023 Dodgers Branch Rickey Minor League Player of the Year
Along with winning the PCL MVP Award, Busch was named the 2023 Dodgers Branch Rickey Minor League Player of the Year and the organization’s Minor League Player of the Year by Baseball America. He additionally was named to the All-MiLB Prospect First Team.
Busch was one of three finalists for Minor League Baseball’s Hitting Prospect of the Year Award, but lost out to MLB’s top prospect, Jackson Holliday of the Baltimore Orioles.
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