Shushkewich, CBN Minor League POW: Owen Caissie
Former FieldHouse Pirate Owen Caissie (Burlington, Ont.) is the Canadian Baseball Network minor league Player of the Week.
September 10, 2024
By Tyson Shushkewich
Canadian Baseball Network
One of the most tantalizing Canadian-born prospects heading into this season, outfielder Owen Caissie, continues to find himself ranked on multiple top prospects lists as the season begins to wind down.
He currently ranks at No. 3 on MLB Pipeline’s top Chicago Cubs prospects list.
Everywhere Caissie (Burlington, Ont.) goes, he helps teams win. Over the past two seasons, with high-A South Bend and double-A Tennessee, he collected league championships.
After a fantastic week with the triple-A Iowa Cubs, Caissie has earned another honour as the Canadian Baseball Network’s Minor League Player of the Week for the week of August 27 to September 1.
Playing at home in Principal Park, in Des Moines, Iowa, Caissie played five of the six games against the Memphis Redbirds – the affiliate of the St. Louis Cardinals. He led all Canuck minor league hitters in total bases (13) and slugging (.722) while producing an impressive .444 average with eight hits (three extra-base hits), five runs, and five RBIs through 18 at-bats.
Facing veteran southpaw and former Blue Jay Steven Matz to start the week, Caissie stepped into the batter’s box with runners on first and second with two outs in the first inning. Facing a 1-1 count, he deposited a low curveball to right field for a double, scoring two runs. Caissie added a run-scoring single in the third inning to finish 2-for-4, while scoring 75% of the team’s runs in the win.
Caissie put numbers into the run column on Wednesday as well. In the fourth, with a runner on first, he smacked an 80-mph slider to the opposite field and used his wheels to collect his third triple of the season - giving the Cubs a 1-0 lead. Caissie later scored on a fly ball. He singled to right field to lead off the sixth and scored again, collecting an RBI and two runs on the day.
The Thursday contest got away from the Cubs early, with the Redbirds winning 18-2. Caissie added another extra-base hit in the loss.
Batting second in the Friday night contest, Caissie went hitless but walked and scored a run.
The former Fieldhouse Pirate did not suit up for the Saturday game but was put back into the lineup to round out the series on Sunday, moving into the leadoff spot.
The 22-year-old started the day off with a leadoff single to centre off veteran Lance Lynn. A double pushed Caissie to third base but the Cubs would strand him. In the second, he singled, driving in the first run of the game.
For his third and final hit of the game he smoked a low change up to right field for a double. A walk in the bottom of the seventh would see Caissie later score a run, helping the Cubs take a 7-6 lead. He was 3-for-3 on the day.
Former Winners
Opening Day to May 6 – LHP Matt Wilkinson (Ladner, BC), Guardians.
May 7- May 12 – INF Charles LeBlanc (Laval, Que.), Angels.
May 13- May 19 – RHP Adam Maier (North Vancouver, BC), Braves.
May 20- May 26 – INF Trei Cruz (Toronto, Ont.), Tigers.
May 27 – June 2 – RHP Lucas Wepf (Georgetown, Ont.), Dodgers.
June 3 – June 9 – C-DH Liam Hicks (Toronto, Ont.), Rangers.
June 10 – June 16 – OF Denzel Clarke (Pickering, Ont.), Athletics.
June 17 – June 23 – OF Denzel Clarke (Pickering, Ont.), Athletics.
June 24 – June 30 – RHP Jonah Tong (Markham, Ont.), Mets.
July 1 – July 7 – OF Denzel Clarke (Pickering, Ont.), Athletics.
July 8 – July 14 – LHP Matt Wilkinson (Ladner, BC), Guardians.
July 15 – July 21 – OF Jordan Nwogu (Ottawa, Ont.), Cubs
July 22 – July 28 – LHP Mitch Bratt (Newmarket, Ont.), Rangers
July 29 – Aug. 4 – LHP Matt Wilkinson (Ladner, BC), Guardians.
Aug. 5 – Aug. 11 – RHP Matt Duffy (Toronto, Ont.), Red Sox.
Aug. 12 – Aug. 18 – LHP Kyle Carr (San Marcos, Calif.), Yankees.
Aug. 19 – Aug. 25 – C Liam Hicks (Toronto, Ont.), Tigers.
Aug. 26 – Sept. 1 – RF Owen Caissie (Burlington, Ont.), Cubs.
Top Canadian Minor League Performances for August 27 to September 1 (Stats Compiled by Pete Berryman)
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Pitchers