Cubs Need to Stop Pinch-Hitting Patrick Wisdom for Michael Busch

The Chicago Cubs are gunning for a series win in Thursday's rubber match against the Detroit Tigers. The North Siders had a shot to take a lead or keep it close Wednesday, but things fell apart after numerous missed opportunities. One of those opportunities was with two men on and Michael Busch due up in the lineup.

As he's done many times this season, Craig Counsell elected to pinch-hit for the young first baseman, bringing in Patrick Wisdom in an attempt to capitalize. With Pete Crow-Armstrong and Christian Bethancourt on base, Wisdom flew out to end the Cubs' threat in the bottom of the seventh.

It's about time to end the madness. Although Busch is clearly better against righties, his numbers aren't bad enough against lefties to justify Wisdom stealing at-bats from the youngster. In fact, Busch's numbers against lefties far exceed Wisdom's metrics.

The Splits

Entering play Thursday, Patrick Wisdom is slashing .219/.284/.425 with three home runs and 16 RBIs in 81 plate appearances against left-handed pitching. Michael Busch is slashing .262/.318/.426 with one home run and five RBIs in 66 plate appearances against southpaws. Busch has more doubles (5) than Wisdom does (4) against lefties as well.

One could argue that they're nearly the same player. Although Wisdom has been more productive in terms of counting stats, increased opportunity has a lot to do with that. Men on base with a lefty on the mound? Craig Counsell goes to Wisdom over Busch.

Yes, Wisdom is a power threat, but the numbers say a lot. Additionally, a player like Wisdom is likely better as a platoon option rather than a top pinch-hitter. Coming off the bench cold is difficult, and Wisdom would likely be better suited for multiple plate appearances per game rather than pinch-hitting if the opportunity arises.

The Reality

The maddening point of this situation is that Michael Busch isn't going to continue to improve at the MLB level unless he's routinely getting plate appearances against lefties. Taking away those appearances only for Patrick Wisdom to come up and not deliver isn't helping Busch's growth. Busch has a chance to be an integral part of the Cubs' future, and restraining his development now is just a waste.

Furthermore, Busch is a much better defender. Wisdom has a -2 Fielding Run Value, per Baseball Savant. Busch, on the other hand, has a 1 FRV. Although the counting number is small, this is a notable flip between ability at first base.

At the end of the day, there's no reason Wisdom should take at-bats away from Busch. Although Wisdom is the bigger thumper statistically, taking the bat out of Busch's hands for a roll of the dice might not be the best move for the Cubs or their young first baseman.

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