Chicago Cubs Prospect Profile: Owen Caissie |
There are some trades during Jed Hoyer's tenure that you can look back on and say set us up for success. The Yu Darvish trade is one of those moves, as that was the first major shakeup that Hoyer put this organization through.
Coming off a solid 2020 season, the Cubs found themselves stuck in neutral with no clear path on what to do next. Hoyer decided for them as he traded Darvish and Victor Caratini to the San Diego Padres in exchange for a slew of prospects. That signaled the start of a mini rebuild, but it's a deal that landed the Cubs one of the best prospects in the game. The key building block from that deal was outfielder Owen Caissie, who not only has emerged as a top-40 MLB prospect but is also No. 2 in the Cubs system and is knocking at the door to make this roster. The Canadian-born Caissie was a second-round pick by the San Diego Padres and moved to Chicago just one season later. Not only was he the highest-selected Canadian player ever, but his $1.2 million-dollar bonus made him the highest-paid Canadian-born position player before his pro debut. The 2020 draft was one to remember and one to forget at the same time as the COVID-shortened draft, resulting in only five rounds. It was also the only time there was no minor league season, as none of the players drafted that season saw the field in 2020. What makes this trade ironic is that Caissie never saw a single inning in the Padres system. He was dealt before the 2021 season and debuted with the ACL Cubs before getting promoted to Myrtle Beach. Caissie put on a show in his 54 games that season, hitting .302 combined between both teams with seven homers and 29 RBIs. One season later, Caissie began his journey through the Cubs Minor League system, hitting .254 with South Bend to go with 11 homers and 58 RBIs before having his breakout season with the Tennessee Smokies in 2023. During that season, Caissie not only played a massive role in the Smokies championship but emerged as the best pure power-hitting prospect in the organization as he hit .289 across 120 games with the Smokies, adding 22 homers and driving in 84. Caissie also showed some added patience at the plate, taking 76 walks. However, with 167 strikeouts, his game still has far too much swing and miss. Coming into 2024, one question was whether Caissie could hit well enough to earn a shot at the bigs before the end of the season. His .278 average across 127 games, along with his 19 homers and 75 RBIs, proved he could handle better pitching. Caissie also walked 71 times while his strikeouts dropped slightly to 156 as he has proven to be ready for MLB pitching. Had the Cubs not traded for Kyle Tucker, you could've made the case that Caissie was competing for an MLB roster spot, but now, with Tucker in the fold, it does appear that he may need to wait until 2026. Despite still being young, Caissie generates some of the highest exit velocities across Minor League baseball as the ball jumps off his bat. There is a reason why he has displayed some incredible raw power, as his bat speed and natural left-handed swing make him a 35-40 homer candidate. Like most power hitters, Caissie is a pull-happy guy who has sometimes shown the ability to go the opposite way. However, with a 31% strikeout rate, he still has plenty of swing-and-miss in his game. That could be the final step in his development as a hitter, as the Cubs would like to see the strikeout numbers decrease slightly. Although Caissie is known for his bat, he has also shown some surprising speed on the bases and is one of those aggressive baserunners who won't hesitate to take the extra 90 feet. When it comes to his glove, Caissie will be nothing more than a corner outfielder. He is still learning to take routes to the ball and is an average defender. He does have a plus arm, which would translate well in right field, as he nailed ten runners in 2023. With his name being dropped as a potential trade piece for the Miami Marlins for Jesus Luzardo, it will be interesting to see how much the Cubs value his future production as they enter a win-now mode season.
