Rank History
| Year | Team | Position | Team Rank | OFP |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | LAD | 2B | 2 | 50 |
Grades Update: Dec 2020
| OFP | Role | Hit | Power | Field | Arm | Run |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 50 | 50 | 55 | 55 | 45 | 45 | 45 |
Dec 2020 Report
Evaluator: Anthony Franco
Age: 23 yr
Height: 6-0
Weight: 207 lbs
Hits/Throws: L/R
Acquired: 2019 Draft - Round 1
RuleV: 2022
Physical Description: Listed at 6'0", 207; muscular build; thick lower half; strong upper body with noticeably built shoulders. Toes a line between athletic and stiff, limited projection remaining with minimal maintenance concerns long term.
Hit: Wide base, relaxed setup; slightly open stance; hands level with back shoulder. Very patient approach, especially early in counts; 18 BB% in three years at UNC. Quiet front foot stride, gets into lower half early in swing. Average bat speed. Shows some ability to cover different quadrants of the strike zone and willingness to use entire field. Good hands through contact; a little bit of loft through contact. Showcased elite on base ability as an amateur, and reports from the Alternate Site rave about Busch's ability with the bat. Grade: 55
Power: Showed above-average raw power with wood bats during the 2018 Cape Cod League slugging .567 over 111 plate appearances with Chatham. Elite pitch recognition, above average bat-to-ball skills and bat path enable him to tap into power in-game. Shows the ability to leverage path and mechanics to get the most of his strength at the point of contact. Demonstrated ability to hit for power to all fields in-game. Over his final two seasons at UNC Chapel Hill Busch hit 26 home runs slugging >.520, with a .253 ISO his junior season. Grade: 55
Field: Drafted as a second baseman; played primarily first base and left field in college. Below-average infield actions and hands in limited game experience at second. Had above-average quickness and hands for a first baseman; comfortable reading and tracking fly balls in left field. Grade: 45
Arm: Fringe arm isn't a weapon but is sufficient at each of first base, second base and left field. Actions are fine, but not good enough to help the arm strength play up. Grade: 45
Run: Fringe-average runner; average overall athlete. Not likely to make a huge impact as a baserunner but adequate enough to handle the corner outfield. Grade: 45
Overall: Busch fits the model of position player the Dodgers have developed well in recent years. He's a high-OBP player who should tap into enough power to hit in the middle of the order. Chances are Busch would probably be miscast as an everyday second baseman, but the Dodgers aggressively shuttle players to different positions and have shown a willingness to tolerate lackluster second base defense. He's a perfectly fine left fielder and an above-average first baseman, so there'll be plenty of places to work his bat into the lineup.
OFP: 50
Role: 50 - Average Everyday Regular
Risk: Low
