Busch's walk surge coincides with 124-point slugging drop

Seven of his 13 homers came in hitters' counts

Wire Report IntelligenceUpdated Jul 271 min read

What happened: Michael Busch is swinging 4.3 percentage points less often while seeing pitches in the strike zone 5.6 points less frequently. His on-base percentage has risen 20 points, and a 117 wRC+ placed him among MLB's top 60 hitters entering Saturday.

Why it matters: Platoon-neutral production has helped him retain an everyday role after he worked mostly as a platoon bat in 2025. Pairing that selectivity with more damage would strengthen Chicago's lineup during its push for a second straight postseason appearance.

By the numbers: His walk rate rose 4.7 percentage points to 14.2%, while his average swing speed fell 1.2 mph. When behind in the count, his swing speed dropped 1.9 mph and his xwOBA declined from .284 to .193. He has a .483 xwOBA and 44.7% hard-hit rate when ahead.

What to watch: Watch whether his more aggressive July approach continues. He swung 49.7% of the time during the month, slugging .449 with three homers.

Sources

MLB.com 2026-07-27T18:46:51.185215+00:00

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