This story was excerpted from Christina De Nicola’s Marlins Beat newsletter. To read the full newsletter, click here. And subscribe to get it regularly in your inbox.
JUPITER, Fla. – A World Baseball Classic gameday didn’t go by without new Marlins outfielder Owen Caissie hearing from coaches and teammates back in Florida wishing him good luck.
Caissie was one of eight Marlins on the 40-man roster to compete in the international tournament, and three Canadians along with shortstop Otto Lopez and catcher Liam Hicks to make history by advancing out of pool play for the first time.
“Our team was good, and I think the next WBC, we're going to be really, really, really good,” Caissie said. “We just showed that we can play a little bit. We were right there with the U.S. [in the quarterfinal]. One good swing of the bat, and we were tied or winning. I felt like I made the country proud. Our whole team made the country proud, and we, just as a team, went out there and played good ball. So that's all we could really ask for.”
For the young Marlins, representing their countries in high-stakes games is seen as a benefit to them moving forward.
Not only was every play magnified, but the pressure to perform in lively atmospheres was also the norm. The club got a taste of it last August at loanDepot park, where it swept the Yankees in front of sold-out crowds. A yet-to-be-eliminated Miami played in Philadelphia for the season’s final road series.
"All the Classic did was make me realize, there's no reason Miami can't be like that," said Jakob Marsee, whose Team Italy surprisingly reached the semifinals. "I want to bring winning baseball here, and just being able to do that with these guys. Learning to win was the biggest thing over there."
Marsee, Caissie and Lopez stepped up to the occasion and went viral with two of the Classic’s top highlights. Marsee recorded an 8-3 double play in the semis, while the Canadians perfectly executed a 7-6-2 relay against Panama. That duo, reunited at big league camp this spring, previously played for Canada in the 2023 World Baseball Classic.
Lopez, whose family watched in Montreal, beamed with pride. He also kept tabs on the other Marlins in the tournament. Javier Sanoja homered in Venezuela’s first game and scored the winning run in Tuesday’s final. Sandy Alcantara and Agustín Ramírez reached the semifinals with the Dominican Republic.
"We get all the experience to just bring it to the season, and the moments that I have, to make plays, defensively and even offensively, that's another type of aspect I would say compared to Spring Training," Lopez said. "It's way different. It's more close to the season.”
While Caissie, Lopez and Marsee started all of their teams’ games, Ramírez and Hicks appeared in only three combined. It became a balancing act of being ready when called upon and making sure to get as many reps as possible to stay fresh since both are slated to be the catchers on Miami's Opening Day roster.
Hicks would catch bullpens and work off the machine to block and receive pitches. Ramírez, who called the experience the best of his life, played catch with the relievers and did a touch-and-feel bullpen. He hit during batting practice and in the cages with superstars Juan Soto, Julio Rodríguez and Fernando Tatis Jr.
“Trying to do as much as possible,” Hicks said. “It was tough, because we would only have the field for a couple hours a day. … You're over in Puerto Rico at a resort, but [you] kind of feel guilty. You're trying to make sure you still get the same work in, because I know how hard they're working over here.”
“I stay with the best players in the Major Leagues,” Ramírez said. “I see their routine and everything they do. I take a lot of this information for my career, too, and it's a good competition, and a lot of energy.”
The Classic turned out to be an international showcase for Caissie. In five games, he went 7-for-17 (.412) with four runs, three doubles, one homer and five RBIs. His 1.241 OPS ranked eighth among players with at least 15 at-bats.
The 23-year-old Caissie, whom the Marlins acquired in the Edward Cabrera trade in January, projects to be on the Opening Day roster. MLB Pipeline’s No. 42 overall prospect got a cup of coffee in 2025 with the Cubs, and with not much left to prove at Triple-A, now is the time to see what he can do in The Show. The Classic might’ve been a preview of what to expect.
“It just really prepares you, because it gives you that sense of confidence,” Caissie said. “You get into those really meaningful and impactful games, and it gives you I guess, a sense of belonging. ‘Oh, this is what I do it for’ type of thing.”