This rookie is drawing comparisons to one of the most beloved Cubs of all time

In early September, Anthony Rizzo will make his return to Wrigley Field - the first time he's been back at the Friendly Confines since the Chicago Cubs traded him to the Yankees more than three years ago.

It'll be an emotional affair, much the same as it was when his former teammates returned to standing ovations from the Wrigleyville faithful. But the pain has been eased this season with the breakout of rookie first baseman Michael Busch, who has not only established himself as a strong hitter, but has turned himself into the best defensive first baseman in the game.

Since that 2021 trade deadline, first base has been a revolving door of sorts. Frank Schwindel caught lightning in a bottle late that summer, but quickly came crashing back to earth in 2022. Alfonso Rivas got a look that year, but showed he wasn't the answer folks hoped for, either. Last year, it was a complete disaster, with Trey Mancini, Eric Hosmer and Matt Mervis all trying - and failing - to seize the job, prompting Jed Hoyer to go out and acquire Busch last offseason.

Michael Busch has checked every box for the Cubs in 2024

Blocked all around the infield in Los Angeles, there was no clear path to playing time for Busch. Given where the Cubs were - and the total lack of production they received from the position the last few years - they could afford to give him a longer leash as he worked through the ups and downs of being a big league rookie.

After some initial defensive struggles, Busch really turned the corner at the position and now grades out as an elite defender. Let's not forget what he's done at the plate, either, with an OPS+ that ranks second on the team behind only Seiya Suzuki. By season's end, we could be looking at a 20-25 homer bat with an .800 OPS in his first taste of MLB action who gives you Gold Glove-caliber defense, to boot.

The 2024 campaign went off the rails in the first half, putting the Cubs in a hole that is near-impossible to claw their way out of. But Busch has been a major success story and can now be penciled in as a long-term building block as the front office charts its path forward heading into a do-or-die offseason.