NEWSLETTER
Michael Busch did not waste any time yesterday extending his home run streak to five games, homering in his first at bat last night, tying the Chicago Cubs’ record in the process.
If Busch does it again tonight, he’ll break the five-game tie with Christopher Morel (2023), Sammy Sosa (1998), Ryne Sandberg (1989), and Hack Wilson (1928).
Michael Busch’s extraordinary performance during this five-game streak is not the only bit of good news, either. It turns out, he *IS* eligible for the Prospect Promotion Incentive, despite earlier reporting that he was not:
By way of reminder, the Prospect Promotion Incentive (PPI) provides for a bonus draft pick after the first round if the team carries a top prospect on their Opening Day roster, and then that prospect goes on to either (1) win Rookie of the Year that year, or (2) finish top-3 in MVP or Cy Young voting prior to reaching arbitration.
Since Busch qualifies as a top prospect under the CBA (must appear on at least two of the preseason top-100 prospect lists from Baseball America, ESPN, or MLB Pipeline), the fact that he is in fact PPI eligible is big news for the Cubs.
Now, if Busch should happen to win the NL’s Rookie of the Year honors this season, or finish in the top-3 of MVP voting before he hits arbitration, then the Cubs will pick up a bonus draft pick (you can get only one per prospect, btw). It truly feels like a bonus, too, because the Cubs were going to carry Busch on their Opening Day roster no matter what. He was the team’s first baseman. They didn’t actually “need” the incentive to roster him. But they’ll gladly take the reward if he nets it!
How plausible is it, though, that Busch could win Rookie of the Year this year? Hey, I’d say it’s not at all out of the question given his early-season performance (.327/.410/.731/199 wRC+, 6 HR, 12 RBI). It’s a very, very crowded field in the National League, though, with guys like Yoshinobu Yamamoto, Jackson Chourio, Jackson Merrill, Jung-Hoo Lee, and even Busch’s own teammate Shota Imanaga as potential contenders. Many other names will pop up throughout the year.
But it’s just nice that the Cubs have a chance now via Busch (Imanaga is not eligible). And who knows? Maybe he misses on Rookie of the Year this season, but takes another step forward thereafter and becomes a legit MVP candidate? It’s not likely, but it’s also not impossible. Everyone knew and agreed that the offensive upside is substantial, and he’s already in his physical prime (26 years old).
