Scouting Report

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Scouting grades: Hit: 50 | Power: 40 | Run: 60 | Arm: 55 | Field: 55 | Overall: 45

The baseball program at Grand Canyon has grown over the years, though they’ve had just one player taken in the top three rounds in the past three decades. That will certainly change in 2023 with Jacob Wilson, Jack’s kid, looking like an early first-round pick. They could double up with another son of a big leaguer in Bush, whose athleticism was on display during a solid summer performance in the Cape Cod League, putting him more firmly on the map.

While Bush has improved tremendously since his Texas high school days, his offensive profile is still a work in progress. He’s very much hit-over-power, with an ability to make contact, but he gets too aggressive and lacks rhythm and pitch recognition at the plate at times. He’ll tease with raw power in batting practice, and it’s not hard to dream on future impact as he fills out his lanky frame. But his swing gets choppier in games, when he’s content to put the ball on the ground and let his plus speed do the work.

That speed should allow him to steal bases in the future, and it helps him cover a ton of ground in center field. He has good instincts defensively and more than enough arm to boot. He’s put up good numbers, albeit without a ton of impact, for the first time this spring, which could give scouts more confidence his swing will work at the next level.

Scouting grades: Hit: 45 | Power: 40 | Run: 80 | Arm: 50 | Field: 60 | Overall: 40

The son of the seven-year Major Leaguer and 1998 World Series champ of the same name, Bush was a two-time solid summer performer in the Appalachian and Cape Cod Leagues, but he really made a name for himself as a junior at Grand Canyon, slashing .370/.478/.500 with 38 walks, 27 strikeouts and 25 steals in 58 games. The Padres took Bush in the fourth round, signed him for slot money at $511,600 and then gave him 44 games in the Minors, including eight for Double-A San Antonio during a Texas League postseason push. He spent the start of his first full season with High-A Fort Wayne and was traded to the Rays at the Trade Deadline as part of a three-player return for reliever Jason Adam.

Batting from the right side, Bush can get aggressive in the box as he lets his bat-to-ball skills do the work to keep strikeouts down. In college and his first taste of the pros, that approach came at the detriment of his power, and the Padres have worked with Bush on swing changes, beginning with standing up a little taller in the box to let his natural raw power -- which shows up in batting practice -- play in games. Even when he does hit dribblers, his plus-plus speed tests defenses, and he got even more aggressive with his wheels in the Minors, stealing 22 bags in 44 games.

That quickness gives Bush ample range in center field, and his instincts out there improved over time in school. It was notable that the former Antelope rotated to the corners in deference to Samuel Zavala and fellow 2023 pick Dillon Head during his time at Single-A, but he was back to the middle of the grass before the trade. He gives Tampa Bay another absolute speedster alongside Chandler Simpson.

Scouting grades: Hit: 50 | Power: 40 | Run: 60 | Arm: 55 | Field: 55 | Overall: 45

The baseball program at Grand Canyon has grown over the years, though it's had just one player taken in the top three rounds in the past three decades. That changed in 2023 with Jacob Wilson, Jack's kid, going sixth overall to the A's. Another son of a big leaguer, Bush, whose athleticism was on display during a solid summer performance in the Cape Cod League, put himself him more firmly on the map too and ended up going in the fourth round to San Diego, signing for slot money at $511,600.

While Bush has improved tremendously since his Texas high school days, his offensive profile is still a work in progress. He's very much hit-over-power, with an ability to make contact, but he gets too aggressive and lacks rhythm and pitch recognition at the plate at times. He'll tease with raw power in batting practice, and it's not hard to dream on future impact as he fills out his lanky frame. But his swing gets choppier in games, when he's content to put the ball on the ground and let his plus speed do the work.

That speed should enable him to steal bases in the future, and it helps him cover a ton of ground in center field. He has good instincts defensively and more than enough arm to boot. He's put up good numbers, albeit without a ton of impact, for the first time this spring, which gave scouts some confidence his swing could work at the next level.

Transactions

Team	Date	Transaction
	07/30/2024	Bowling Green Hot Rods activated OF Homer Bush Jr..
	07/28/2024	Tampa Bay Rays traded RHP Jason Adam to San Diego Padres for RHP Dylan Lesko, OF Homer Bush Jr. and C J.D. Gonzalez.
	07/28/2024	OF Homer Bush Jr. assigned to Bowling Green Hot Rods.
	07/28/2024	OF Homer Bush Jr. roster status changed by Tampa Bay Rays.
	03/26/2024	OF Homer Bush Jr. assigned to Fort Wayne TinCaps from San Antonio Missions.
	03/26/2024	Fort Wayne TinCaps activated OF Homer Bush Jr..
	03/07/2024	San Diego Padres activated OF Homer Bush Jr..
	03/07/2024	San Diego Padres Prospects activated OF Homer Bush Jr..
	02/28/2024	OF Homer Bush Jr. roster status changed by San Diego Padres.
	02/28/2024	OF Homer Bush Jr. roster status changed by San Diego Padres.
	02/28/2024	OF Homer Bush Jr. assigned to San Diego Padres.
	09/08/2023	OF Homer Bush Jr. assigned to San Antonio Missions from Lake Elsinore Storm.
	08/08/2023	OF Homer Bush Jr. assigned to Lake Elsinore Storm from ACL Padres.
	07/22/2023	OF Homer Bush Jr. assigned to ACL Padres.
	07/20/2023	San Diego Padres signed OF Homer Bush Jr..
	06/06/2023	OF Homer Bush Jr. assigned to College Workout.
	02/08/2023	Grand Canyon Antelopes activated OF Homer Bush Jr..
	02/08/2023	OF Homer Bush Jr. assigned to Grand Canyon Antelopes.
	09/21/2019	OF Homer Bush Jr. assigned to Team Sandy Alomar Sr..
	09/04/2019	CF Homer Bush Jr. assigned to Green.
	09/04/2019	OF Homer Bush Jr. assigned to Green.
	09/07/2018	OF Homer Bush Jr. assigned to Futures-Navy.