Canadian OF Caissie making MLB debut with Cubs in Toronto
Published
Owen Caissie is set to make his MLB debut in familiar territory, as the Burlington, Ont. native will start his first game with the Chicago Cubs in their series finale against the Blue Jays in Toronto.
Caissie was called up earlier in the day when the Cubs put catcher Miguel Amaya on the Injured List.
The 23-year-old outfielder was drafted in the second round of the 2020 MLB Draft by the San Diego Padres - the highest-drafted Canadian outfielder ever - and is the No. 45 prospect in baseball, according to MLB Pipeline.
He was traded to the Cubs later that year, as part of the package of prospects sent in exchange for pitcher Yu Darvish.
In 93 games with the Triple-A Iowa Cubs this season, Caissie has hit .289 with 22 home runs and 52 runs batted in.
Caissie becomes the 23rd Canadian-born player currently in the majors, with Blue Jays superstar slugger Vladimir Guerrero Jr., a native of Montreal, his opponent on Thursday.
Caissie was on Team Canada's roster at the 2023 World Baseball Classic, where he went 3-for-13 with a home run in three games.
In 499 career minor-league games, Caissie has hit .280 with 81 home runs.