OWEN CAISSIE
OF, B/T: L/R, Tennessee Smokies, Double-A Chicago Cubs
6ft 3in, 190 lbs, 20 years old (dob 07/08/2002), Burlington ON
2020 MLB Draft, 2nd Round, 45th Overall Selection by SD Padres, from Notre Dame Catholic HS
Acquired by the Cubs in Dec. 2020 as part of the Yu Darvish trade with the Padres.
Organization Ranking: Baseball America #13, Prospects Live #9
Games observed: June 6 & 7 vs Rocket City Trash Pandas (Angels)
Tall frame with room for further physical projection to add size and strength
Upright batting stance with hands high near ear level
Flat/level bat path that looks to be rather fast
Generally made good swing decisions over the 2 games observed
5th Plate Appearance on 06/06 stood out as a very good at-bat: down 0-2 after a foul ball and a swing & miss on a high fastball, took 2 balls and then an impressive take to bring the count full and then made solid contact on the next pitch to RF for a hit
Solid understanding of the strike zone
YTD Stats (as of this writing 06/19):
239 PA, .388 wOBA, 12 HR (T-2ND in Southern League) .368 OBP, .505 SLG, 133 wRC+, 13 BB%, 34.3 K%
The strikeout percentage is not in a comfortable place being over 1/3 of at-bats however Caissie makes good swing decisions and takes walks at an excellent rate. There are still struggles vs LHP (.189 BA, .683 vs lefties) that can use some improvement. Owen is still very young for the level at 20 years of age in Double-A so some struggles would/should be expected with a lot to love about his profile moving forward. Some adjustments & progress to the hit tool can help tap into his raw power even more in games. He’s already hit a career-high number of HRs in a season (11 was the high water mark in 2021) and it’s starting to display more often. Owen looks to be on a path to being a power-hitting corner outfielder in the long term.
Thank you for checking in today and I’ll be talking with everyone again. Until then, you know what to do…KEEP IT 80 GRADE!