Cubs dominate our second NL Central hitter power rankings of the season

4. Michael Busch, Cubs (Previous: NR)

Through the first month of the season, Michael Busch has proven that last year's rookie season is no fluke. He's forcing Cubs skipper Craig Counsell to play him every day, even against lefties (both as a result of his success and Justin Turner's struggles). The Cubs' first baseman has raised his OPS by nearly 100 points so far this season, and is entering elite territory with a mark approaching .900. He's still really struggling against lefties, but mauling righties is a pretty acceptable outcome for a left-handed-hitting first baseman.

Statcast Superlative: Busch continues to overperform his Statcast metrics, something he's done his entire career. He's only in the top quartile in one individual hitting category, but is ranked in the 88th percentile in batting run value. Busch does a lot of things above average and it synthesizes into a very valuable player.

5. Brendan Donovan, Cardinals (Previous: NR)

Brendan Donovan's contact-driven approach has reached new heights early in the season. He's tied for fourth in the MLB in hits and fifth in batting average, and is carrying an elite strikeout rate of only 11.2 percent. The second baseman's approach is pretty old school, but he's also racking up a ton of two-base hits and could challenge the 50 double mark if he continues at his current pace. Donovan is a fun player.

Statcast Superlative: Donovan is second in the league (behind Jorge Polanco) in expected batting average at a whopping .366. He also rates in the top 10% in whiff rate, K rate, and several other categories. This isn't a fluke start to his season.

Honorable Mention: Pete Crow-Armstrong, Lars Nootbar, Carson Kelly, Sal Frelick