Michael Busch

Busch is a buy — disciplined approach, quality contact.

His expected wOBA sits at .352, about 37 points above league average, and with 262 plate appearances that number is fully reliable. His actual wOBA matches closely at .344, confirming his production is earned rather than lucky. The underlying contact quality is strong and trending up: his hard-hit rate has climbed to 42.5%, well above the league mark of 40%, and his barrel rate is 11.9% against an 8% league average — both past the stabilization threshold. He also walks at an elite 15.3% clip while striking out at a league-average rate, giving him a disciplined, sustainable approach. The trajectory of both xwOBA and hard-hit rate have been stepping up across the sample, reinforcing that the skill is real and still improving. Buy.