Busch the spark that lights Cubs' fire atop the lineup

MILWAUKEE -- Three months ago, on July 13, Cubs manager Craig Counsell moved lefty slugger Michael Busch into the leadoff spot of the lineup in order to switch things up.

At the time, Ian Happ was mired in a 35-game slump (.174/.286/.391), while Busch led one of the Majors’ most potent lineups in wRC+ (158). Typically a middle-of-the-order bat, Busch jumped at the relatively new opportunity to set the tone and receive more trips to the plate.

Though Counsell considers lineup construction a tad overrated, the thought process of picking his club’s new leadoff man was simple enough: Get your best hitters as many at-bats as possible. Counsell saw immediate dividends when Busch homered in his first game in that role in a 4-1 victory over the Yankees on July 13.

From his introduction to the leadoff spot through the end of the season, Busch’s five long balls to open a game were tied with Mets All-Star Francisco Lindor for second most in the Majors, behind Twins All-Star Byron Buxton’s six. Among leadoff hitters in the first inning, Busch's .998 OPS is the third best in MLB since July 13 (minimum 40 at-bats), behind Lindor (1.074) and perennial MVP candidate Shohei Ohtani (1.003)

In the context of Cubs history, Busch’s five leadoff homers were tied for the fifth most since 1901.

"Just happy to kind of do my best,” Busch said. “That's part of the game where you look at some of those numbers, and they're good, they're good for the team. Getting on base, driving in runs, whatever it is, it's always good. When those numbers are higher, ultimately, you're kind of helping the team more. But there's still ways like getting on base or moving a guy or defensively that help the game, too.”

In the Cubs' 9-3 loss to the Brewers in Game 1 of the National League Division Series on Saturday afternoon at American Family Field, Busch became the third Cub to knock a leadoff homer in the postseason, joining Dexter Fowler (Game 7 of the 2016 World Series) and Bob Dernier (Game 1 of the 1984 NL Championship Series).

Busch deposited a 94.9 mph four-seamer from Brewers right-hander Freddy Peralta into the second deck in right-center to give Chicago an early lead on the fourth pitch of the game. He also went deep in his final at-bat of Game 3 of the NL Wild Card Series as part of a three-hit performance. Busch has picked up where he left off over his final 15 regular-season games, when he slugged .923 with eight homers.

“The guys who do the best job in that spot of the lineup are guys -- even if they're not prototypical leadoff profiles, like Bushy -- who don't let the spot in the lineup change them too much,” said the right-handed-hitting Nico Hoerner, who bats leadoff against southpaw starters. “He's put in that spot to be himself. Counsell doesn't put him in leadoff and be like, ‘OK, now I need you to take pitches,’ or whatever you would ask a leadoff hitter historically. Just to be himself and to have the full confidence to do whatever that is. And I think just the fact that he's a player who knows himself really well and his strengths is why he's able to be successful.”

Busch, who turns 28 next month, reiterated what Hoerner said. Busch sticks with his approach regardless of where he bats: Get the pitcher in the zone and drive the ball.

Whether Busch sticks at the leadoff spot long term has yet to be determined. Some of it depends on the club’s roster next season, according to Counsell. But it’s hard not to appreciate the impact Busch’s power can have on a game from the get-go.

“No. 1, he's just a really good hitter, and that's the biggest reason that he's there,” Counsell said. “I think you're right, I think Michael has been exceptional at kind of picking his spots -- you're the leadoff hitter once, and that first at-bat of the game is a different at-bat, and I think Michael has been exceptional at that at-bat.

“You pick your spots to attack on the first pitch, and you make that pitcher have some doubt, starting the game with the ability to hit a home run. A lot of times, guys don't amp it up on the first pitch, they don't amp it up for the first hitter, and [having Busch there] makes that pitcher understand he has to do that.

"So he's done it great. He's done a great job of it. He's overall just had an exceptional year.”