Top Minor League Prospect Promoted By Chicago Cubs

Can Owen Caissie wake up a dormant Chicago Cubs lineup?

That's a lot to ask of a 23-year-old approaching his Major League debut. But after putting up big numbers in the Minor Leagues, perhaps he can help the Cubs secure a playoff spot and make a run in October.

ESPN's Jesse Rogers first reported Wednesday night that the Cubs were calling up Caissie from Triple-A Iowa, where he played the last two seasons, and that he could play in Thursday's 2:07 p.m. CT road game against the Toronto Blue Jays.

Caissie replaces catcher Miguel Amaya, who was placed on the injured list with a sprained ankle, though X-rays were negative. A player's MLB debut is always special, but Caissie's carries extra meaning as a Burlington, Ontario native playing at Rogers Centre.

He got the call to the big leagues after slashing .289/.389/.566 with 22 home runs, 52 RBIs, three stolen bases, 53 walks and 114 strikeouts in 404 plate appearances with the Iowa Cubs. That put him top five among International League players in home runs, OPS, wRC+.

The Cubs have been looking forward to Caissie's debut for several years after acquiring him as an 18-year-old in a trade with the San Diego Padres for Yu Darvish and Victor Caratini in 2020. Caissie has turned out to be the most promising piece of the five-player return, which also included Major League pitcher Zach Davies and prospects Reginald Preciado, Ismael Mena and Yeison Santana, none of whom have reached Double-A yet.

Manager Craig Counsell will have to be a bit creative in getting Caissie at-bats down the stretch due to the Cubs' crowded outfield. Left fielder Ian Happ, center fielder Pete Crow-Armstrong and right fielder Kyle Tucker have been mainstays in the outfield all season, while Seiya Suzuki has become the primary designated hitter after playing right field in previous seasons. The Cubs also acquired Willi Castro at the trade deadline, and he can play all three outfield positions.

So where does Caissie fit? First off, the vast majority of his at-bats will likely come against right-handed pitching, if not all. As a left-handed hitter, Caissie hit .311 with a 1.035 OPS against right-handers this season, and 19 of his 22 home runs came in those 297 plate appearances. His batting average drops to .225 with a .726 OPS against left-handed pitching.

Caissie's case for at-bats is also hurt by Tucker and Crow-Armstrong being left-handed hitters, too, as well as Ian Happ being a switch hitter who has historically been more productive as a lefty. So Caissie doesn't necessarily fill a need in that respect. But he could help keep the Cubs' outfielders fresh during a long season, especially since Tucker, Crow-Armstrong and Happ are slumping. He also has a significantly higher ceiling than previous Cubs' bench bats like Jon Berti or Vidal Brujan.

After leading the National League Central division from April 12 to July 19, the Cubs have fallen 7.5 games behind the Milwaukee Brewers who are 12-0 in August and 27-4 since July 6. Chicago has a 19-16 record since July 1, but many of its top hitters have been far less productive than usual of late. Perhaps their best chance of making up ground on the Brewers is an upcoming five-game home series against Milwaukee beginning Monday.

The Cubs are looking for any boost they can get, and maybe that will be Caissie.