Michael Busch has joined Kyle Tucker, Pete Crow-Armstrong as Cubs' Big 3

There's no need for me to remind you how good Kyle Tucker and Pete Crow-Armstrong are playing. That outfield tandem will be heading to Atlanta to represent the Cubs in the 2025 MLB All-Star Game in a month's time.

However, those two shouldn't be the only Cubs there. Catcher Carson Kelly has slowed down some in recent weeks, but his torrid start was something to behold. Seiya Suzuki would feel like a lock for the NL roster if Shohei Ohtani and Kyle Schwarber didn't exist. Nico Hoerner, Dansby Swanson, and Ian Happ may not be All-Stars this year, but they're an incredibly steady and reliable group of quality veterans.

Yet, none of those players should be talked about as the Novak Djokovic to Tucker's Rafael Nadal and PCA's Roger Federer. Instead, it's Michael Busch who deserves the love as the final pillar of the Cubs' Big 3.

Michael Busch has all the qualities of a star first baseman

At a glance, Busch is having a stellar season, though it's hardly as eye-popping as what Tucker and Crow-Armstrong have been doing.

The first baseman is slashing .275/.374/.508 with nine home runs, good for a 150 wRC+ and 1.4 fWAR. His batted ball metrics are all really strong, too, a 90th percentile xwOBA and 47.8% hard-hit rate.

He could stand to add a bit more pop to his profile as a first baseman — though he'll need to improve on his well-below-average bat speed first — but Busch is an incredibly well-rounded hitter that completes the Cubs' left-handed hitting triumvirate.

PCA is a swing first, ask questions later star. Tucker is a contact machine, hitting the ball with authority thanks to his brilliantly selective plate approach. Busch is more of a slow-burn hitter, working counts and methodically waiting out opposing pitchers.

His 11.4% walk rate ranks in the 80th percentile league-wide, and his 23.3% strikeout rate is a five point improvement from last year. He's also been on fire in June, nabbing seven hits in 14 at-bats, including two home runs and four walks against just one strikeout.

All told, he's the sort of prototypical first baseman the Cubs have been desperate for since trading away Anthony Rizzo, though Busch falls far short of his legendary predecessor in the defense department. He works plenty of deep counts, moves around the lineup with ease, and is always among the toughest outs in the order

He's not as flashy as Crow-Armstrong, nor is he as awe-inspiringly consistent as Tucker, but Michael Busch is one of the key components of this Cubs team. Putting him in the same breath as those two stars may seem like hyperbole, but if Busch keeps up his hot June, he'll join them in representing the Cubs at the Midsummer Classic this year.