The ascension of infield prospect Michael Busch continues to gain momentum. Recently, the No. 4 rated prospect on the Los Angeles Dodgers farm was named as the fifth-best second base prospect in all of baseball by MLB Pipeline, seemingly bumping up his big-league arrival time even more.

In a story by Jim Callis published Sunday, MLB Pipeline ranked the Top 10 second base prospects across the majors. Included in the story was a breakdown of which prospects possessed the best tools, with Busch taking away top honors in the power department.

Writes Callis, “Busch could provide 25 or more homers on an annual basis thanks to his knack for barreling balls, his combination of bat speed and strength, and his polished approach. Primarily a first baseman and left fielder in college at North Carolina, he has improved his quickness and arm strength since signing, enhancing his chances of staying at second base.”

In last year’s rankings, Busch was rated as the sixth-best second base prospect in baseball. In past columns, we reiterated how the 23-year-old Minnesota native received rave reviews as part of the 60-man player pool at the club’s alternate training site last season.

For those unfamiliar with Busch, it wasn’t that long ago when the left-handed hitter was selected by the Dodgers as the 31st overall pick in the 2019 draft out of the University of North Carolina.

After playing a handful of games in the Arizona Rookie League in 2019, the 6-foot, 205-pound Busch arrived at Low-A Great Lakes in time to appear in five games, going 2-for-11 with two RBI and six walks.

His time in 2019 was limited after suffering a hairline fracture in his right hand, but he still participated in the 2019 Arizona Fall League, logging five games for the Glendale Desert Dogs while going 3-for-13 with one home run. Perhaps what stood out the most was that he walked nine times in the AFL against just four punchouts, allowing him to score six runs.

In Sunday’s column, TBPC listed Busch as one of the potential surprises who could make his MLB debut in 2021.

Baseball America currently ranks Busch as the 87th-best overall prospect in the majors.

In his story, Callis also mentioned Zach McKinstry of the Dodgers as a player to watch during the upcoming season.

“Though he might have a tough time cracking a loaded Dodgers roster, McKinstry has the potential for average or better tools across the board and is capable of playing all over the infield and outfield,” Callis wrote.” A 33rd-round pick out of Central Michigan in 2016, he hit .300/.366/.516 with 19 homers between Double-A and Triple-A in 2019.”