Dodgers: Michael Busch Featured on Top Second Base Prospects List
There's been a lot of talk this offseason about Dodgers prospect Miguel Vargas, who had a cup of coffee with LA last September after an outstanding year in the minors and is expected to get regular playing time in Los Angeles this year. James Outman has come up a lot, too, between his great minor-league season, his flashy four-game stint in the big leagues, and the departure of Cody Bellinger leaving center field open in LA. And pitching prospects like Bobby Miller and Gavin Stone have had plenty of words said and written about them all winter.
Kind of flying under the radar is Michael Busch, a minor-league second baseman who posted an .881 OPS with 70 extra-base hits between Double-A and Triple-A last season. But Busch hasn't escaped the noticed of prospect hounds, and one of the best of them, Jim Callis, wrote about the top 10 second base prospects for MLB.com. Not surprisingly, Busch was heavily featured.
The Top 10 (ETA)
- Termarr Johnson, Pirates (2025)
- Michael Busch, Dodgers (2023)
- Jace Jung, Tigers (2025)
- Justin Foscue, Rangers (2023)
- Zack Gelof, Athletics (2023)
- Connor Norby, Orioles (2023)
- Edouard Julien, Twins (2023)
- Nick Gonzales, Pirates (2023)
- Nick Yorke, Red Sox (2024)
- Wenceel Perez, Tigers (2023)
Busch was listed in three separate categories by Callis: top power tool, highest floor, and Rookie of the Year candidate.
Power: Johnson, Busch (60)
Johnson isn't particularly physical at a listed 5-foot-7 and 175 pounds, but his bat speed, strength and ability to barrel balls project to produce plus power. Busch has more raw pop and ranked third in the Minors in extra-base hits (70) and total bases (285) and sixth in homers (32) last season while splitting time between Double-A and Triple-A.
Highest floor: Busch
Busch has lived up to his reputation as one of the best all-around offensive talents in the 2019 college class, batting .274/.365/.516 in his first fully healthy season as a pro in 2022. He should hit for average and power while drawing plenty of walks, and he has worked to transform himself into an adequate defender.
Rookie of the Year candidate: Busch
At least half of our Top 10 should make their big league debuts this season, with Busch having less to prove in the Minors than any of them. That said, he'll have to find at-bats on a crowded Dodgers roster that also includes talented rookies Miguel Vargas and James Outman.
That last bit from Callis really tells the story. The Dodgers are going with a youth movement, but Busch might end up being the odd man out there. LA has a ton of players who can play multiple positions, so a lot of it comes down to where they put Vargas and Max Muncy. If Vargas is the third baseman, that puts Muncy at second base, which puts Busch either in left field or left out.
But if Busch hits in spring training (and maybe a brief stint in the minors to start the season), Los Angeles will find room for him in the lineup. He's flown under the radar so far, but he's going to show up soon.
