Michael Busch Eyes Power Surge as Cubs Beat Diamondbacks in Phoenix

Busch looks to rediscover 2025 home-run form before Chicago's postseason push

PHOENIX, Arizona — Chicago Cubs first baseman Michael Busch said he is still searching for the sustained offensive rhythm that made him the club's home-run leader last season, even as the Cubs continued their productive year with a 7-0 victory over the Arizona Diamondbacks on Monday.

Busch hit 34 home runs in 2025, but entered Monday with 16 this season, ranking sixth on the Cubs roster. The reduction in power has not prevented him from contributing: his .352 on-base percentage is the best mark of his major league career. Still, the 28-year-old acknowledged that he has not consistently reached the level he believes he can provide for a Chicago lineup that began the week as baseball's highest-scoring offense.

"I feel like I'm not tapping into what I'm capable of, in a sense," Busch said Monday. He pointed to an uneven opening stretch that delayed his effort to establish a reliable timing and approach at the plate.

Over his first 51 games, Busch batted .224 with four home runs and a .361 slugging percentage. In the 78 games that followed, he improved to a .256 average with 12 homers and a .416 slugging percentage. The rebound has been meaningful, but Busch said he remains focused on finding the kind of extended hot streak that can alter a lineup during the final weeks of a season.

"I'm playing all right, but I haven't hit that stride that you look for," Busch said. "I'm just trying to work, continue to grind and do what I can to help this team win the rest of the year."

Counsell says six-week opportunity remains

Cubs manager Craig Counsell said Busch's 2025 production created understandable expectations after such a strong season from a young player. But Counsell noted that Busch has not hit for power in the clusters that defined portions of last year.

"He's still got a six-week stretch where he can do that, and that still could come," Counsell said Sunday. A late power surge from Busch would deepen an offense already fueled by center fielder Pete Crow-Armstrong and third baseman Alex Bregman, strengthening Chicago's outlook for a lengthy October run.

The Cubs' ability to score without Busch matching last season's homer total illustrates the club's offensive depth. Yet first-base power can become especially valuable in postseason matchups, where a single extra-base hit may determine a low-scoring game. The club's remaining regular-season schedule gives Busch time to turn his recent improvement into a more decisive stretch.

Gausman dominates while Brown and Shaw progress

Chicago's Monday win was powered by right-hander Kevin Gausman, who delivered seven scoreless innings after failing to complete five innings in each of his previous two outings. Gausman allowed three singles and one walk, and only one Diamondbacks runner advanced beyond first base.

The Cubs also received encouraging health updates. Right-hander Ben Brown could begin a minor league rehabilitation assignment after one more successful live batting-practice session, according to Counsell. Brown has been sidelined since late June by a stress fracture in a vertebra in his neck. He posted a 1.70 ERA across eight starts earlier this season and is expected to return as a reliever.

Utility player Matt Shaw is already on a rehab assignment with Triple-A Iowa, collecting four hits in his first three games. Counsell said the Cubs received positive health feedback but want Shaw to accumulate additional at-bats. The team will continue monitoring Busch's pursuit of greater power, Brown's throwing program and Shaw's recovery as the regular season moves toward its final six weeks.