Limited 2025 opportunities masked Caissie's minor league dominance. A looming lineup void could finally unlock his explosive potential for the Cubs in 2026.
Cubs fans didn’t get to see Owen Caissie much during the 2025 season.
Although Caissie made his MLB debut on August 14, the Cubs didn’t give the 23-year-old many at-bats in his first taste of the big leagues. He appeared in just 12 games for the North Siders, resulting in just 27 total plate appearances.
However, Caissie figures to have a bigger role in 2026. Given that there is a strong chance Kyle Tucker will not return to the team, the Cubs will need to replace his bat in the lineup. That replacement could come in the form of the young rookie.
Caissie has the potential to really take off this upcoming season. He consistently showed his talent throughout his Minor League career, which included posting exceptional numbers at Triple-A Iowa in both 2024 and 2025.
The Canadian native slashed .278/.375/.472 with 19 home runs, 75 RBI, and 11 stolen bases across 127 Triple-A games in 2024, and then followed up that campaign by hitting .286 with 22 home runs in 99 games with the Iowa Cubs.
Those strong numbers earned Caissie a promotion to the Major League club on August 14. The problem, though, was that the Cubs didn’t give him many opportunities to showcase that talent in the second half of the season.
That is expected to change for the 2026 season, assuming the Cubs don’t acquire a big-time bat this offseason. If they don’t add a slugger like Kyle Schwarber or Alex Bregman, manager Craig Counsell would have no choice but to give Caissie more consistent at-bats in the lineup.
As a matter of fact, he has a real shot to be the Cubs’ Opening Day starting right fielder next season.
With the team’s focus set on adding pitching this offseason, that could mean the front office might not feel the need to add a premier bat to this lineup. Part of that reason could be due to their confidence in younger players like Caissie.
In his limited at-bats in the Majors, Caissie has shown some encouraging signs. He had a 13.3% barrel rate, a 53.3% launch sweet-spot rate, and a 74.8 mph bat speed in those 27 plate appearances in 2025.
While it is a small sample size, one thing for certain is that Caissie is a big part of the Cubs’ future. We should expect him to see more at-bats in 2026 and potentially take his game to the next level.