by Dennis Dalman
Michael Busch, a former infielder for the St. Cloud Rox baseball team made his debut In Major League Baseball April 25 as a member of the Los Angeles Dodgers.
In that game with the Pittsburgh Pirates, the Dodgers won in a final score of 8-7. The 25-year-old Busch was the designated hitter for the Dodgers and went 1-3 with a run batted in and a walk. Earlier this season, while playing with the Oklahoma City Dodgers, a Minor League team, Busch earned a .337 average and an on-base percentage of .461. He now has 16 runs batted in and 17 runs scored. The Oklahoma City Dodgers is a Triple-A affiliate of the Los Angeles Dodgers. During his time with the Oklahoma City Dodgers, he was third baseman for nine of 11 games.
While playing with the St. Cloud Rox, Busch helped lead the team win the 2017 Northwoods League Championship, batting six home runs, 20 RBIs and 15 doubles in a total of 45 games. Those achievements propelled him to one of the top prospects in the Northwoods League. In 2019, Busch was drafted 31st overall in the first round by the Los Angeles Dodgers. Since that time, he moved his way up in the ranks of the Dodgers Minor League system.
In 2023, he was named the number-three prospect for the Dodgers, the second best second baseman prospect in Minor League Baseball and the 54th best overall prospect.
During his baseball-playing time in Minnesota, Busch was ranked as the fourth-best player in the state by “Perfect Game.”
Busch was born in Inver Grove Heights. During his years in that city’s Simley High School, he played football, hockey and baseball. He then enrolled in college in North Carolina, where he also played baseball for the University of North Carolina Tar Heels.
Busch is the 319th Northwoods League alumni from St. Cloud to debut in the Major League. The St. Cloud Rox is a member of the Northwoods League, which is comprised of 24 teams of elite college baseball players. That League is now in its 30th year.
The St. Cloud Rox will return for their 12th season of play in the Northwoods League, with the home opener set for June 2 – a game versus the La Crosse Loggers. After that game, there will be a post-game fireworks display. For information about season tickets or partial-season ticket packages, call the Rox office at 320-240-9798 or visit stcloudrox.com.
Michael Busch
