Chicago Cubs New Slugger Now One Homer Shy Of Tying Franchise Record

With another long ball on Sunday, one of the Chicago Cubs sluggers is now close to tying a franchise record.

Apr 13, 2024; Seattle, Washington, USA; Chicago Cubs first baseman Michael Busch (29) reacts / Joe Nicholson-USA TODAY Sports

The Chicago Cubs knew they had to have a power hitting lefty in their lineup as Cody Bellinger was still on the open market and they weren't sure if they were going to meet the asking price from him and his agent.

So, the front office pivoted and put together a trade that landed them Michael Busch and reliever Yency Almonte.

Busch was the Los Angeles Dodgers' No. 1 overall prospect in their pipeline, but there was a limited path to playing time because of Freddie Freeman at first base, Max Muncy at third, and Shohei Ohtani as designated hitter.

So, they sent him to the Cubs in exchange for some lower-level prospects who will now continue their development within a strong farm system.

Even with Bellinger back on the roster, Chicago is certainly happy they have Busch.

The 26-year-old has been excellent so far, slashing .327/.393/.694 with nine RBI. He also has five home runs after hitting another on Sunday, bringing his streak of consecutive games with a homer to four.

That is just shy of the Cubs' franchise record.

According to Yahoo Sports, four players have hit the long ball in five straight games: Christopher Morel, Sammy Sosa, Ryne Sandberg, and Hack Wilson.

Busch has been an excellent trade acquisition for Chicago so far, and with the added performance of Almonte, it is clearly looking like they got the better end of that deal.

The slugger will have an opportunity to tie the record on Monday when they face the Arizona Diamondbacks on the road as they continue their stretch away from Wrigley Field.