Matt Shaw celebrates as Kazuma Okamoto walks by. (AP Photo/Eugene Hoshiko)

The Rundown: Busch Snags Silver Slugger Snub, Murakami and Okamoto Will Be Posted, Dodgers Prohibitive Fall Classic Favorites

Photo of Michael Canter Michael CanterOctober 23, 2025

“I’ve given you a decision to make; things to lose, things to take. Just as she’s about ready to cut it up, she says, ‘Wait a minute, honey, I’m gonna add it up!'” – Add it Up by Violent Femmes

Three Cubs were nominated as Silver Slugger award finalists, but first baseman Michael Busch was not one of them. Pete Alonso, Matt Olson, and Freddie Freeman made the cut instead. Busch was Chicago’s most consistent hitter this year and among the MLB leaders in most hitting categories for all first basemen.

  • He had five triples, which was 14th overall and tops at his position.
  • Busch’s .523 SLG was just behind Alonso (.524) for the top spot at first base. Freeman slugged .502 and Olson slugged .484.
  • His 34 home runs were second to Alonso (38) among all first baseman. Olson had 29 dingers while Freeman finished with 24.
  • Busch was third among his peers in RBI with 90, tied with Freeman. Alonso led the group with 126, followed by Olson, who plated 95 runners.
  • The tightest race between the four was in weighted runs created (wRC+), which Alonso won (141). Busch was second again (140), followed by Freeman (139), and Olson (136).
  • Freeman led the quartet in OBP (.367), followed by Olson (.366), Alonso (.347), and Busch (.344). Freeman and Olson were buoyed by a BABIP of .342 and .333 respectively. The winds at Wrigley probably hurt Busch there, as his BABIP was just .292. Still, Chicago’s first baseman led the quartet with one home run every 15.41 at-bats.
  • Busch finished the season with a .369 wOBA, right behind Freeman (.370). Alonso (.368) and Olson (.366) followed.

What probably hurt Busch in the committee’s eyes was the team’s insistence on sitting or pinch-hitting for him against the league’s tougher lefties. Chicago’s second-year first sacker finished with 592 plate appearances, more than 100 fewer than Alonso and Olson and nearly 40 fewer than Freeman. One would think that would boost his value in the counting statistics, but it’s an analytics-driven game and Freeman’s OBP gives him the slightest of edges. That said, Busch’s .869 OPS was a mere five points behind Alonso and three below Freeman.

Because I skew a little more toward traditional stats than most folks, I believe Alonso deserves the award. Still, I do think Busch deserves to be this year’s runner-up. It’s certainly a close race, but it’s fair to say Busch was snubbed, even when using the less provincial metrics as your guide.

Cubs News & Notes

  • MLB Trade Rumors discussed the Cubs in their latest Offseason Outlook series, though the full article is buried behind their paywall. I’m subscribed, so I’ll highlight the juicier stuff. The biggest item on their menu is the decision Jed Hoyer will have to make regarding Shōta Imanaga. The MLBTR staff believes Imanaga will ultimately enter the free agent market unencumbered, as I similarly stated earlier this week. They also mentioned that Hoyer has probably soured on opt-out contracts. MLBTR suggested Paul Goldschmidt as a potential DH and backup first baseman, adding that Busch seems like a potential extension candidate.
  • I’d add that extending Hoerner and Pete Crow-Armstrong are equally important targets. You can include Cade Horton because of next year’s expected lockout. The Cubs will barely dent their payroll with four arb-eligible players, so there is no time like the present to lock those players up. Should the Cubs extend Justin Steele? He could theoretically be entering his contract year if there is a work stoppage that shuts down the 2027 season.
  • Of note, I miscalculated Chicago’s luxury tax availability in yesterday’s Rundown. I’ll quote MLBTR for the correction: “The Cubs have around $145 million in CBT commitments for 2026, if Imanaga becomes a free agent. Regular season attendance at Wrigley Field increased by 3.7% this year. Total attendance increased 10.7%, accounting for the five playoff games at Wrigley. It’s hard to see why this team wouldn’t at least spend to the $244 million CBT threshold next year, meaning Hoyer could add nearly $100 million in 2026 AAV. Perhaps the Ricketts family would like to see how the next CBA shakes out before committing significant dollars past 2026, but that could potentially waste a contending season.”
  • Last but certainly not least, MLBTR said Hoyer will do most of his heavy lifting rebuilding the bullpen, not in terms of dollars spent, but by acquiring bodies. No surprise there. That’s something we’ve also discussed in the comments section all week.
  • Kyle Tucker could be looking at a 10-year, $350 million contract in free agency.
  • Corner infielders Munetaka Murakami and Kazuma Okamoto will be posted this winter, joining RHP Kona Takahashi. All three would be ideal Cub targets. Still, a soft implication exists in lieu of any decision the team makes regarding Imanaga. Murakami is a 25-year-old smoke show who will probably play DH stateside, but he could make Matt Shaw expendable.
  • Jon Heyman said in a recent live stream with Bleacher Report that bench coach Ryan Flaherty is considered the favorite to be named the Padres’ new manager.
  • For those who play in dynasty leagues, the Cubs have a number of fantastic prospects that should make a major league impact in the next 1-5 years. It’s worth reading even if you do not play fantasy baseball.
  • The Cubs will select 24th in next year’s amateur draft and should remain outside the lottery for the foreseeable future. Hoerner, Walker Buehler, Chad Billingsley, and Randal Grichuk are notable former No. 24 picks. The Angels took Grichuk one pick ahead of Mike Trout in 2009.

Ball Four

I was told that players on teams that have been eliminated from the playoffs go straight to Cancun. That doesn’t seem to be the case for Aaron Judge, Devin Williams, and Cam Schlittler.

Central Intelligence

World Series News & Notes

Don’t miss that first pitch in Friday night’s game between the Blue Jays and Dodgers. First-pitch home runs are on the rise this year in baseball.

This year’s World Series matchup tells us teams that spend have the best chances of winning.

George Springer is an advocate for children who stutter, and now he gets to do that on the game’s biggest stage.

The Dodgers’ rotation came together just in time to dominate the postseason.

Los Angeles is a prohibitive favorite to win this year’s Fall Classic.

Postseason television viewership is at its highest since 2017.

Thursday Stove

Tucker, Kyle Schwarber, and Alex Bregman will drive this year’s free agent market.

It sounds to me like it’s time for Kris Bryant to consider retirement like his old pal Anthony Rizzo. Bryant would make an excellent ambassador, and heck, the Cubs will be celebrating a very important 10-year anniversary next season. The former Rookie of the Year and MVP has a bad back that hasn’t responded to any type of treatment. Bryant said he still wants to play, but that may not be realistic.

Max Scherzer believes Tony Vitello will excel as the Giants manager in 2026. I bet I know where Scherzer will be playing next year, and where Justin Verlander won’t.

The Angels only gave Kurt Suzuki a one-year deal to manage the team, but the retired catcher said he feels secure enough in his abilities that he will be a long-term fixture in Anaheim.

The Mariners are set up nicely to get back to the postseason next year and beyond. Can we say that about the Cubs?

Extra Innings

I miss that Dexter Fowler big-game energy. Anyone else? I’ll have more about Fowler in a future column, but not many players can call the North Side home for just two seasons and still feel like a Cub for life.

Apropos of Nothing

On Wednesday night, some friends of mine and I discussed player names on jerseys. Are you opposed or do you prefer them? I am opposed, for the record. It just looks tacky to me, but I’m unabashedly old school. I can’t even stomach seeing Crow-Armstrong in blue pinstripes with that name dropping from his shoulders to his waistline.

Son of Apropos

We’ve had some great banter in the comments section this week, and I wanted to acknowledge and thank everybody for their contributions. It certainly fires me up to push out more content, so much so that I’m writing this before I go to bed instead of after I wake up. You are all beloved to me.

They Said It

  • “When we signed Shōta, if you’d shown us his production over the last two years, we would have taken that in a heartbeat. So not only has he produced for us, but he’s just a great teammate and terrific asset to the organization. Obviously we have decisions to make and discussions to [have]. Over the next two or three weeks we’ll do that, but I’ve got nothing but positive things to say about Shōta.” – Hoyer

Thursday Walk-Up Song

Turning over a quarter of your roster is significant, though I’m sure that’s a baseball exec’s wet dream.

Photo of Michael Canter Michael CanterOctober 23, 2025
Cubs Insider © Copyright 2025, All Rights Reserved