June 7th, 2019 at 9:00 am 
by 0799291000348 First things first, biographical info on the Dodgers second selection in the 2019 MLB First Year Player Draft – Michael Busch:
- Date of birth: November 9, 1997
- Height: 6′-0″
- Weight: 207 pounds
- Bats and throws: right-handed
- High school: Simley High School, Inver Grove Heights, Minnesota
- College: North Carolina University – Chapel Hill, NC
According to the UNC Tar Heels baseball profile, Busch was rated as the number three player in Minnesota as a senior, the number one shortstop by Perfect Game, the number 112th player nationally, and the number 17th shortstop by Prep Baseball Reports. He played three years of varsity football and hockey, leading his team to the state finals as a quarterback. He captained all three teams and earned All-State honors in baseball.
Although considered a plus-defender at first base, Busch’s best asset is his bat. This young man can flat-out hit and hit with power. You do not have to be a professional scout to appreciate Busch’s beautiful swing that seems effortless, with the ball exploding off of his bat.
(Photo credit – Matt Clements)
As a sophomore Busch slashed .317 / .465 / .521 / 1.032 with 13 home-runs, 55 walks, and only 30 strikeouts. To date (Heels are still playing in the NCAA playoffs), he is slashing .290 / .441 / .567 / 1.008, with 16 home runs, 57 RBI, 75 runs scored, and walked 58 times compared to 37 strikeouts.
While Busch has excellent bat-to-ball skills and a keen-knowledge of the strike zone, he also has 60-grade power on the 70 scale. Over the last two seasons he has been a middle-of-the-order hitter for one of the elite college baseball programs in the world playing in the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC), which is second to none in competition. He also appeared in the prestigious Cape Cod Baseball League in the summer of 2018, where he slashed .322 / .450 / .567 / 1.017 while playing second base.
Some scouting reports downplay Busch’s ability to successfully move to second base in the pros, but with his high school athletic background (football, hockey, and baseball shortstop), and his work ethic, it will not be surprising to see him successfully make the transition.
Look for Busch to start his Dodgers professional career playing second base at Great Lakes, but his hit tool could put him on a fast-track to Rancho Cucamonga before the end of this season.
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Good write-up, Jesse. I don’t put too much stock in the Dodgers drafting Busch as a 2B because at the end of the day, that bat of his is gonna carry him all the way to the show no matter where they put him. Aside from that power-hitting college 3B they took in the 4th round (Brandon Lewis of UC Irvine, should definitely do a piece on him as his story’s a rather fascinating one), Busch profiles as having the highest floor out of the position players taken by the Dodgers in this year’s draft. Can’t wait for him to make his way to Low-A Great Lakes in particular after he gets signed because not only will that get 1B prospect Dillon Paulson (who’s also among the 5 Loons set to make this year’s All-Star game at that level) up to High-A Rancho for once, he’ll also be helping the Loons remain in their current playoff hunt down the stretch. Kid will NEVER see the light of day on a non-contender down there from the looks of it, how cool is that??
😉
Brandon Lewis may get some time at third base in rookie ball and Low-A, but I think he has first base / DH written all over him. Dropping 70 lbs of fat over a two year period (285 down to 215) shows determination and persistence in his quest for professional baseball. I expect Dodgers will sign him for much less than his slot value (along with others) in order to sign RH pitcher Jimmy Lewis to a well above slot value.
Yeah, unless Lewis gets himself on a regular throwing program to max out whatever arm strength he has it looks as if 1B will certainly be his long-term position moving forward. No doubt in my mind his bat will carry him the rest of the way (heard he comps favorably to big leaguers Rhys Hoskins and Ryon Healy, but I’ll throw in CJ Cron with better mobility in terms of what his absolute floor is for me). Noticed he’s only 20 years of age, fairly young for a college guy. If the Dodgers were indeed banking on freeing up enough money to sign that other Lewis kid from Texas by taking this guy under slot in the 4th round, I’d say they’re playing their cards right for a change. Man, this year’s draft seems to favor the college hitters quite a bit. Even that Ryan Ward kid they took in the 8th round looks promising, especially if they decide to give him an extended look behind the plate despite being drafted as an OF…
If you check out Baseball America’s draft data base for the last several years you will see how this Dodgers front office strategy is to pick and sign seniors and other fringe college players for below-slot money in order to pay over slot monies to more highly regarded players. This front office staff are wizards with financial maneuvering, whether it be the draft, international signings, or 40-man roster.
Why hasn’t Busch signed already? Two million dollars plus is a lot to pass up and to play for one of best the teams in baseball.
I’m thinking he’s itchin’ to go back to college for one more season just to see if he can get to that WS. Well, either that or he’s merely holding out for a couple hundred grand more in bonus money. Praying it’s the latter as the Dodgers still have plenty in their budget to sign him above slot easily without sacrificing a future 1st round pick. But yeah, he should’ve signed already. $2+ million dollars is a A LOT to pass up for someone who was slotted to receive around that much based on where he was projected to go in the draft anyway…
Any news on Michael Busch or Jimmy Lewis signings? Per a last update a week ago from the Dodger Draft Tracker,the Dodgers have signed 23 of their picks.
Dodgers just wrapped Busch up a few hours ago, full-slot value. Took longer than expected, but I take it that Bellinger’s back-to-back walk-offs in that home series against the Diamondbacks might’ve finally gotten him to get with it (lol). Anyway, he’s in the system now and just leaves Jimmy Lewis as the only Top 3 pick left on the Dodgers’ draft list that has yet to sign.
What are chances the Dodgers sign Jimmy Lewis? Only 1 week left.
Chances are pretty good that he will. Dodgers didn’t have to go above-slot to sign Busch, leaving more than enough in their bonus budget to offer what it would’ve taken to reel Lewis in had he been drafted where he was ranked instead (somewhere between $1 and $1.2 million, give or take a few hundred grand).
Any news on Busch signing?