3 things we learned about the Cubs on their season-opening homestand

2. Michael Busch looks like he could be the answer at first base

Former Dodgers top prospect Michael Busch took it to his former team over the weekend, laying the groundwork for Sunday's lopsided win in the rubber match with an early RBI double. He's strung together quality at-bats here in the early going, offering hope he could be a long-term solution for Chicago at first base.

Busch is off to a hot start, batting .296/.375 /.481as the team heads out west to kick off a series with the Padres in San Diego. He's shown good plate discipline and has walked at an above-average 12.5% clip.

After Matt Mervis' breakout a couple years ago in the minors, the hope in 2023 was that his power would translate to the big leagues. Instead, he looked totally overmatched in limited action with the Cubs last summer, leading to Jed Hoyer and Carter Hawkins sending pitching prospect Jackson Ferris to Los Angeles for Busch this winter.

There's a long way to go before we'll know what Busch will be long-term. But, so far, he's checked every box and looks like he could be the first sense of real stability at the position since Anthony Rizzo was traded to the Yankees back in 2021.