Iowa Cubs outfielder Owen Caissie eager to get a shot at MLB
Owen Caissie was sitting in the Tennessee Smokies' locker room during the second half of the 2023 season when Haydn McGeary, his teammate at the time, asked him a question.
“He was like, ‘Do you think you’re ready for the show right now,’” Caissie recalled him asking. “And I was like, ‘Without a doubt, if I went up there, I’d compete.’”
Caissie may finally get that shot soon. The 21-year-old outfielder started the season just one step away from the big leagues in Triple-A with the Iowa Cubs. And after a few games, Caissie is already turning heads.
“He hits the ball hard,” said Iowa manager Marty Pevey. “His exit velo is impressive for such a young guy.”
The future looks bright for Caissie, a second-round pick by the San Diego Padres in 2020. Caissie, who was shipped off to the Chicago Cubs later that year as part of the Yu Darvish deal, has become one of the organization's top young bats ever since.
His stock soared with a huge 2023 season that saw the lefty hit .289./.398/.519 and set career-highs for doubles (31), homers (22) and RBIs (84) in 120 games with the Smokies, Chicago’s Double-A affiliate.
“They finally got to see a little glimpse of Owen Caissie,” Caissie said.
Caissie credits the success to participating in the World Baseball Classic with Team Canada. The roster was full of big leaguers including Los Angeles Dodgers superstar first baseman Freddie Freeman, who spoke to Caissie about the importance of having a gameday routine down.
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Caissie, who didn’t have one at the time, watched how Freeman and the other veterans prepared for a game. Caissie decided to implement a routine of his own.
In the past, Caissie showed up to the field and did random things leading up to first pitch. But in 2023, he created a set schedule that began with him arriving early, stretching and then going to the cages to do some hitting drills.
“It’s pretty simple,” Caissie said. “But I feel like I can win every day and I feel like if you can win your routine every day, then you’re already off to a good start on the day. And then if you don’t do well in the game, you have something to fall back on.”
The routine led to the monster numbers from Caissie, whose confidence soared throughout the season. It was so high that Caissie thought he could handle big-league pitching if called upon. He didn’t even let some of his struggles dampen his approach at the plate.
“My confidence was really high,” Caissie said. “I’ll go 0-for-4 with three (strikeouts) and I’ll still be yacked and confident the next day going into the game.”
When Jason Kanzler was hired as Chicago’s director of player development in January, he got rave reviews about Caissie’s hard-hitting abilities. Kaznler was told Caissie had some of the best exit velocities in all of baseball.
Caissie hasn’t slowed down either. He earned an invite to big-league spring training and continued his dominant approach at the plate. During 16 games with Chicago this spring, Caissie hit .333/.409/.564 with three doubles, two home runs and 11 RBIs.
“He’s got such a quiet approach at the plate and he does a really, really good job of driving the ball when he gets his pitch,” Pevey said.
Caissie, who said he was more of a doubles hitter in high school, has watched his power blossom over the last few years. It began when the 2020 Minor League Baseball season was canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Caissie spent the time powerlifting for a year and a half.
That, combined with his maturation, pre-game approach and pro experience has made him one of the biggest prospects in baseball. Caissie entered the season as the 45th-best prospect in baseball, according to MLB Pipeline.
“He’s exciting because he has a plus bat, left bat and he can play multiple outfield positions and he’s a lot faster than he looks,” Kanzler said.
Kanzler said a big part of Caissie’s spring was spent tapping into that speed even more and improving his play in the outfield. The time in camp also allowed the Cubs to get a first-hand look at Caissie, who according to Kanzler, earned rave reviews from the coaching staff.
“We were getting great feedback from the major league staff this spring training about his work ethic and his makeup and how he went about his business,” Kanzler said.
Now, Caissie is living up to the high hopes. During his Triple-A debut at Omaha on March 29, Caissie went 3-for-4 with a double, a walk and a run scored. The following game, he added three more hits, including another double.
“My goal for the season is super easy: (it) is to be the best I can be every day, do everything 100% so when I lay my head down on the pillow at the end of the night, I know that I did everything in my power to do the best I could that day.”
Even though the call didn’t come for Caissie to be in the big leagues this season, he still thinks he’s ready. If he continues to hit, the Cubs will too.
“I think for him, continuing on the trajectory he’s on is exactly what he needs to do,” Kanzler said.
Tommy Birch, the Register's sports enterprise and features reporter, has been working at the newspaper since 2008. He's the 2018, 2020 and 2023 Iowa Sportswriter of the Year. Reach him at tbirch@dmreg.com or 515-284-8468.
This article originally appeared on Des Moines Register: Iowa Cubs outfielder Owen Caissie is eager for chance to play in MLB
