Scouting Report

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Scouting grades: Hit: 45 | Power: 55 | Run: 55 | Arm: 60 | Field: 50 | Overall: 45

The Canadian province of Ontario has had a high school player taken in the top five rounds of every Draft since 2013, headlined by a pair of first-rounders in the Naylor brothers, Josh and Bo. While Caissie doesn’t project to be a first-round pick in this year’s Draft, he is one of two Canadian prep outfielders who have a very good chance to get taken in the first several rounds.

Caissie, a Michigan recruit, has the tools to fit the right field profile very well, starting with his plus raw power. He has legit pop from the left side of the plate, with the ability to drive the ball to all fields. Some scouts have questioned his bat path, leading to some concerns about his ability to get to that power, but he has shown the ability to make adjustments in the past. He’s at least an above-average runner, one who gets to plus once underway.

In deference to the other Canadian outfielder on this list, David Calabrese, Caissie has played a corner outfield spot for the Canadian junior national team. With an arm that delivers low-90s throws from the outfield and his power potential, he fits that mold very well. A team that thinks he has the chops to handle center, and he might, could consider him a bit higher. 

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Scouting grades: Hit: 45 | Power: 65 | Run: 40 | Arm: 60 | Field: 50 | Overall: 55

The Padres selected Caissie with the 45th overall pick in the 2020 Draft, making him the highest-drafted Canadian outfielder ever, and signed him for $1,200,004. Before he made his pro debut, San Diego traded him with three other prospects and Zach Davies to acquire Yu Darvish and Victor Caratini from the Cubs that December. He has helped High-A South Bend and Double-A Tennessee win league championships the past two seasons, and he finished in the top five in all three slash categories (.289/.398/.519) and homers (22) in the Double-A Southern League as a 20-year-old in 2023.

Despite his youth, Caissie already generates some of the highest exit velocities in the game and his raw power earns top-of-the-scale grades from some evaluators. The bat speed from his left-handed swing and the projectable strength and leverage in his 6-foot-3 frame could translate into 35-40 homers per season as he continues to pull and lift pitches more frequently and makes adjustments at the plate. He struck out at a 31 percent rate in 2023 and struggles with sliders, but the whiffs are an acceptable tradeoff for his pop and he does draw a healthy amount of walks.

Although Caissie has flashed plus straight-line speed at times, he’s more of an average runner who probably will lose a step as he physically matures. Still working on the consistency of his reads and routes on the outfield corners, he projects as an average defender. He has spent most of his career in right field, where his plus arm helped him register 10 assists in 101 games last summer.

Scouting grades: Hit: 45 | Power: 65 | Run: 45 | Arm: 55 | Field: 45 | Overall: 55

The highest-drafted Canadian outfielder ever, Caissie went 45th overall to the Padres in June 2020 and signed for a below-slot $1,200,004. He had yet to make his pro debut when San Diego traded him, three other prospects and Zach Davies to the Cubs for Yu Darvish and Victor Caratini six months later. He spent his age-19 season in High-A last summer, hitting a crucial playoff home run as South Bend won the Midwest League championship, and has had a monster year in Double-A in 2023.  

Caissie's signature tool is his well-above-average raw power, which he creates with bat speed and leverage in his left-handed stroke. He produces astounding exit velocities for his age and is doing a better job of pulling and lifting more pitches this summer. He works deep counts but his approach comes with a good deal of strikeouts that will be an acceptable tradeoff for his pop. 

While Caissie has flashed plus straight-line speed in the past, he's more of an average runner on the diamond and may lose a step as he fills out his build. He's athletic for his size, but his reads and routes in the outfield need work, and he could wind up as a fringy defender in left field. He has spent most of his early pro career in right and has the solid arm strength for the position. 

Scouting grades: Hit: 45 | Power: 55 | Run: 50 | Arm: 60 | Field: 50 | Overall: 50 

The best Canadian prospect in the 2020 Draft, Caissie became his nation's highest-drafted outfielder when San Diego selected him 45th overall and signed him for a below-slot $1,200,004. He only saw instructional league action with the Padres before they traded him with three other prospects and Zach Davies to acquire Yu Darvish and Victor Caratini that December. He broke into the Minors by hitting .349/.478/.596 with six homers in 32 games in the Rookie-level Arizona Complex League last summer, earning a swift promotion to Low-A. 

Caissie possesses more raw power than any Cubs farmhand, the product of the plenty of bat speed and leverage in his left-handed swing and a big 6-foot-4 frame that can add more strength. While his swing can get long and uphill at times, he generally doesn't try to do much at the plate. He uses the opposite field well and shows a willingness to work counts that resulted in high walk (19 percent) and strikeout (30 percent) rates during his pro debut. 

Though Caissie is athletic and can flash plus straight-line speed, he projects as more as an average runner once he matures physically. He's a work in progress as a defender but should have average range on either outfield corner once he gains more experience. With his power and plus arm strength, he profiles well in right field. 

Scouting grades: Hit: 45 | Power: 55 | Run: 50 | Arm: 60 | Field: 50 | Overall: 50 

Teams didn't get a lot of time to scout Caissie last year, but he did impress while facing Minor Leaguers with Canada's 18-and-under team in the Grapefruit League, where he crushed a ball off the batter's eye at Toronto's ballpark in Dunedin. He was his nation's top prospect in the 2020 Draft and became its highest-drafted outfielder ever, signing with San Diego for a below-slot $1,200,004 as the 45th overall choice. His lone action with the Padres came in instructional league before they shipped him, three other prospects and Zach Davies to the Cubs for Yu Darvish and Victor Caratini in December. 

Caissie is built to hit for power, with a big 6-foot-4 frame that has plenty of room to add strength and a left-handed stroke with lots of bat speed and leverage. His swing can get long and uphill at times, leading to some concerns about his ability to make consistent contact. He did show some ability to make adjustments against pro pitchers as an amateur. 

While Caissie can flash plus straight-line speed, he doesn't play quite that fast and projects as an average runner once he fills out. He fits the right-field profile with his offensive upside and plus arm. One of the younger players in the 2020 Draft at 17 years and 11 months, he'll need time to develop in the Minors.

2020 Scouting grades: Hit: 45 | Power: 55 | Run: 50 | Arm: 60 | Field: 50 | Overall: 50 

The top Canadian prospect in the 2020 Draft, Caissie became the highest-drafted outfielder ever out of his nation when the Padres made him the 45th overall pick in June. He signed for a below-slot $1.2 million in June, foregoing a Michigan commitment. San Diego shipped him to the Cubs six months later along with three other prospects and Zach Davies to acquire Yu Darvish and Victor Caratini.

Caissie has the tools to fit the right field profile very well, starting with his plus raw power. He has legit pop from the left side of the plate, with the ability to drive the ball to all fields. Some scouts have questioned his bat path, leading to some concerns about his ability to get to that power, but he has shown the ability to make adjustments in the past. He’s at least an above-average runner, one who gets to plus once underway.

Defensively, Caissie played a corner outfield spot for the Canadian junior national team in deference to David Calabrese in center. With an arm that delivers low-90s throws from the outfield and his power potential, he fits the corner profile very well. But as one of the youngest players in the entire 2020 Draft class -- he turned 18 on July 8 -- he may also require some extra time to develop in the Minor Leagues. 

Awards

MiLB.com Organization All-Star

Year	Team
2023

Baseball America Double-A All-Star

Year	Team
2023

MiLB Awards All-MiLB Prospect First Team

Year	Team
2023

Baseball America Minor League All-Star

Year	Team
2023

SOU Post-Season All-Star

Year	Team
2023

SOU Player of the Week

Week	Team
07/30/2023

Transactions

Team	Date	Transaction
	03/29/2024	OF Owen Caissie assigned to Iowa Cubs from Tennessee Smokies.
	03/07/2024	Chicago Cubs Prospects activated OF Owen Caissie.
	02/09/2024	Chicago Cubs invited non-roster OF Owen Caissie to spring training.
	04/04/2023	OF Owen Caissie and assigned to Tennessee Smokies from South Bend Cubs.
	03/22/2023	OF Owen Caissie roster status changed by Chicago Cubs.
	03/22/2023	OF Owen Caissie roster status changed by Chicago Cubs.
	02/09/2023	Canada activated OF Owen Caissie.
	02/09/2023	Canada activated OF Owen Caissie.
	09/18/2022	Mesa Solar Sox activated OF Owen Caissie.
	09/18/2022	OF Owen Caissie assigned to Mesa Solar Sox.
	04/07/2022	OF Owen Caissie assigned to South Bend Cubs from Myrtle Beach Pelicans.
	03/17/2022	OF Owen Caissie roster status changed by Chicago Cubs.
	03/17/2022	OF Owen Caissie assigned to Chicago Cubs.
	08/23/2021	OF Owen Caissie assigned to Myrtle Beach Pelicans from ACL Cubs.
	12/29/2020	OF Owen Caissie assigned to AZL Cubs Blue.
	12/29/2020	Chicago Cubs traded RHP Yu Darvish, C Victor Caratini and cash to San Diego Padres for RHP Zach Davies, SS Reginald Preciado, SS Yeison Santana, OF Ismael Mena and OF Owen Caissie.
	09/29/2020	OF Owen Caissie assigned to AZL Padres 1 from Padres Alternate Training Site.
	09/08/2020	San Diego Padres invited non-roster OF Owen Caissie to spring training.
	06/24/2020	OF Owen Caissie assigned to AZL Padres 1.
	06/24/2020	San Diego Padres signed OF Owen Caissie.
	03/11/2020	CF Owen Caissie assigned to Canada Jr. Team.
	09/21/2019	OF Owen Caissie assigned to Team Sandy Alomar Sr..
	09/04/2019	OF Owen Caissie assigned to Red.
	09/07/2018	OF Owen Caissie assigned to Futures-Navy.