Chicago Cubs Rookie Named One of Most Underrated Players in Baseball

A Chicago Cubs rookie has been named one of the most underrated players in the entire league.

Jul 12, 2024; St. Louis, Missouri, USA; Chicago Cubs third baseman Miles Mastrobuoni (20) is congratulated by first baseman Michael Busch (29) after scoring against the St. Louis Cardinals during the seventh inning at Busch Stadium. / Jeff Curry-USA TODAY Sports

The Chicago Cubs made an offseason trade to acquire rookie first baseman Michael Busch from the Los Angeles Dodgers.

It was a trade that flew relatively under the radar, but has ended up being a huge win for the Cubs.

Busch has come on strong in his first major league season and has proved capable of being a valuable long-term piece for Chicago.

Throughout the course of his first full season in the majors, Busch has played in 118 games. He has hit 16 home runs to go along with 47 RBI, while batting .258/.345/.455. Those numbers provide a huge outlook for his future with the team.

Busch has played so well that he has even been compared to former Cubs' fan favorite and superstar first baseman Anthony Rizzo.

Due to his impressive first season with Chicago, Busch has found himself named on the list of the most underrated players in baseball.

Tim Kelly of Just Baseball gave Bush the No. 10 overall ranking on the list.

"It’s been a disappointing campaign for the Cubs, but Busch’s emergence has been one of the few silver linings. As he was blocked by Freddie Freeman in Los Angeles, the Cubs struck a deal to acquire Busch from the Dodgers in January. In his rookie season, Busch has shined on both sides of the ball, with 16 home runs, 45 RBIs and an .806 OPS. Defensively, Busch should be a Gold Glove candidate, as he’s posted nine defensive runs saved and four outs above average."

Kelly went on to talk about how the Cubs have been viewed as a top destination for Pete Alonso. However, with the emergence of Busch, he questioned if that interest is legitimate anymore.

"The Cubs have long been rumored to have interest in New York Mets’ first baseman Pete Alonso, who we recently ranked as the No. 3 potential free agent this upcoming offseason. But with Busch, 26, under team control through 2029, will the Cubs actually be players for another first baseman this winter?"

More than likely, Chicago will be out on Alonso. There is no need to spend big money on a first baseman when Busch is more than capable of being the team's long-term first baseman.

At just 26 years old, the sky is the limit for Busch. He still has plenty of room to get even better.

Jed Hoyer has received a lot of criticism for the job he has done with the Cubs. While he has made some bad moves, the trade to acquire Busch was a huge win for Chicago and he should be praised for getting that deal done.