Cubs Should Be Concerned About Michael Busch’s Slow Start

It isn't ideal that Chicago has started the year under .500 and some of their studs are struggling at the plate including Michael Busch. This is the first time in recent years that he hasn't thrived right off the bat.

Chicago Cubs first baseman Michael Busch against the Los Angeles Angels during a spring training game at Sloan Park. | Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

There are a few players in the Chicago Cubs' hitting lineup that the team simply can't afford to have in long ruts at the plate. One of which is first baseman Michael Busch.

Some players are known to struggle early on in the season (like Silver Slugger Cal Raleigh), but that has not been the case for Busch in his last two years. He had a breakout season in 2025 and was strong right from the get-go.

That has been the exact opposite in 2026,. The Cubs have one of the best rosters in baseball on paper, but instead of being atop the division, they are dead last in the NL Central and are the only team with a losing record.

Chicago Cubs first baseman Michael Busch | Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

Busch isn't the only player not performing, though; four starters are batting .200 or lower. However, he is someone that the Cubs are counting on to keep the momentum rolling from last season

In both 2024 and 2025, Busch hit .266 and .276 in March and April with an OPS of .833 and .892. He had been trending upward until 2026, but he is batting .176, which doesn't pair well with a slugging percentage of .235.

On a positive note, in 2025, Busch really started to find his swing in June, and it carried on throughout the rest of the year. Hopefully, that will be the story for 2026 as well, as Chicago will need his bat to be a 90+ win team this year.

Busch's decline from March to April in 2026

Michael Busch | Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

The Cubs' first baseman looked like the player everyone knew from last season at the start, at least in their season opener. He went 3-for-5 with a pair of doubles. However, those three hits were 75% of his hits in the first five games.

It has gotten worse since April started, as he has made contact twice in his 16 at-bats, which brings his batting average to .125 this month.

Baseball is the longest season in professional sports, so 11 games into a 162-game season means there's no reason to panic yet. But Busch sure doesn't look like himself right now, which is why concern is starting to rise.

Chicago has a lot of kinks to work out before the end of the month when they travel to Los Angeles to take on the reigning world champs. For now, Busch needs to take it one at-bat at a time and start to find his confidence again.