The Chicago Cubs are entering a rubber match with the Toronto Blue Jays with a 68-51 record, which puts them in second place in the National League Central. Chicago has slowed down since July and has fallen seven games behind the Milwaukee Brewers, partly due to the Brewers’ 12-game winning streak.
Recently, Cubs catcher Miguel Amaya was carted off the field for what appeared to be a severe leg injury, and it was his first game back off the 60-Day Injured List. However, it might be paving the way for Chicago to get a look at their top prospect in MLB.
Chicago Calling Up Top Prospect
Per ESPN’s Jesse Rogers, the Chicago Cubs are calling up top prospect Owen Caissie on Thursday, and he may make his MLB debut on Thursday against the Blue Jays. Caissie is a Canadian native from Burlington, Canada, about 45 minutes outside of Toronto.
The San Diego Padres selected him in the second round of the 2020 draft and later traded him to the Cubs in exchange for Yu Darvish. The 23-year-old outfielder made his way through Chicago’s minor league system, and after Matt Shaw was called up this season and got enough playing time, Owen Caissie was named the Cubs’ No.1 prospect, according to MLB.com.
Calling up Caissie might be a boost for the Cubs as they aim to finish the last month and a half of the season strong, hoping to stay atop the NL Wild Card. In 93 games with AAA Iowa, he’s hitting .293 with 22 home runs, 26 doubles, and an OPS of .955.
He also spent most of last season with AAA and tore it up. He hit 19 home runs and 29 doubles in 127 games last season, and has never really struggled at any point in his minor league journey.
Where Does Caissie Fit In With Chicago?
MLBTradeRumors.com was quick to the news, and detailed where Owen Caissie might fit in with the team:
“None of this is to say that Caissie is a sure-thing, middle-of-the-order jolt for the Cubsâ lineup,” “Heâs still just a 23-year-old prospect who has to prove his swing-and-miss issues wonât sink him against MLB pitching and, in particular, left-handed MLB pitching.
“Still, itâs exciting that heâs joining the team for the stretch run as they look to hold on to the NLâs top Wild Card spot and try to challenge the seemingly unstoppable Brewers for the NL Central crown. Any offensive boost he can provide will be much appreciated. The Cubs rank among the leagueâs best offensive teams on the season, but theyâve struggled as of late, scoring just 34 runs in 11 games since the trade deadline…
“As long as Caissie hits, it will work out quite nicely. On the other hand, this means thereâs quite a bit of pressure on the youngster to perform right away. The Cubs are as competitive as theyâve been in several years, and they canât afford to take away reps from [Kyle] Tucker, [Seiya] Suzuki, and [Ian] Happ if Caissie isnât producing.”
Caissie does strike out his fair share of at-bats. He has 114 strikeouts this season, and had 156 last year. Both marks put him at a roughly 33% strikeout rate.
He can play either corner outfield spot and DH; however, the Chicago Cubs are pretty strong in both those positions, so he may work as a platoon option or pinch-hitter for certain matchups.
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