MLB The Show 26 just snubbed one of the Cubs' best players in new rankings

As an avid MLB The Show player, March is always an exciting time of year because the new iteration of the game drops. That's the case again this year, with MLB The Show 26 launching on March 17.

Given the Chicago Cubs are coming off a 92-win season that ended just one game shy of an NLCS matchup with the Los Angeles Dodgers, it'll be fun to play with that roster - especially with the offseason additions of Edward Cabrera and Alex Bregman added to the mix. While Bregman got his love - as did Nico Hoerner, Seiya Suzuki and Pete Crow-Armstrong - Michael Busch got done dirty.

Not only did Busch fall outside of the top 5 at first base - he missed the top 10 list entirely, which is a shocking result given the Cubs' slugger broke out in a big way last year, clubbing a career-high 34 home runs and trailing only Pete Alonso in terms of wRC+.

Here's how MLB The Show's first base rankings look:

Vladimir Guerrero Jr. - TOR
Freddie Freeman - LAD
Bryce Harper - PHI
Nick Kurtz - ATH
Pete Alonso - BAL
Matt Olson - ATL
Josh Naylor - SEA
Yandy Diaz - TB
Rafael Devers - SF
Vinnie Pasquantino - KC

Michael Busch's expanded role in 2026 offers him a huge opportunity

Guerrero Jr. leads the pack at an 88 rating, while Devers and Pasquantino close out the top 10 each at an 81 rating. I'm sorry, but there's no planet where Busch, who ranked fourth in fWAR last year, isn't a top-10 first baseman heading into 2026.

Sahadev Sharma over at The Athletic (subscription required) penned a piece earlier this week on Busch that's absolutely worth the read - and it dovetails perfectly into what I'm writing here. Is being left off this list an insult? Absolutely. But do you think the Cubs first baseman will lose an ounce of sleep over it? No.

His focus, as has been the case in his first two years with the team, is unchanged: he wants to put his best foot forward and help the team win. He'll get more of a chance than ever this year, as he's allowed to face left-handers for the first time on a daily basis. While Cubs fans already believe he's near the top of his position, at least some in the industry believe he has more to prove.

Now, it's time to go out and silence those doubters.

Michael Busch's expanded role in 2026 offers him a huge opportunity

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