TORONTO -- They say timing is everything, and for Cubs outfielder Owen Caissie, his came down to the wire.
News of Caissie’s callup to the big league club broke after the team’s victory over the Blue Jays on Wednesday night.
Less than 24 hours later, the Burlington, Ontario, native arrived at Rogers Centre roughly an hour and a half before first pitch and served as the designated hitter in his debut, which ended in a 2-1 Cubs loss on Thursday afternoon.
He was robbed of his first hit by Blue Jays left fielder Davis Schneider in his first at-bat in the second inning. Schneider laid out on a ball in the gap to make a highlight-reel catch.
When the final out was recorded, Caissie, ranked by MLB Pipeline as Chicago's top prospect and the No. 45 propsect in baseball, had finished 0-for-4. But the stat line was a small sidebar to the overall meaning of the day. It was a moment Caissie had trouble putting into words postgame.
“It was surreal,” Caissie said. “Growing up watching the Blue Jays, I’m just super thankful the Cubs could make my debut happen in front of the Canadian people I cherish so much.”
The promotion shouldn’t have come as a surprise, given what Caissie has accomplished this season for Triple-A Iowa and across his four Minor League campaigns prior.
Over 93 games before getting the call, Caissie was hitting .289 with 22 home runs and a .955 OPS for the I-Cubs. He serves as another power bat manager Craig Counsell can plug into a lineup that has 170 home runs on the season, the sixth most in the Majors behind only the Yankees, Dodgers, Angels, Mariners and Diamondbacks.
Cubs assistant general manager Jared Banner spoke about his excitement for Caissie’s first game, which became an inevitability thanks to the way he had performed this year.
“I went to sleep last night and I was really looking forward to the game today,” Banner said. “It’s a culmination of a long process that began at the end of 2020. So it’s been many years. A lot of hard work put in by Owen, a lot of hard work put in by our development staff and organization as a whole.”
Banner said Caissie had been knocking on the big league door for some time. With catcher Miguel Amaya going on the injured list with a left ankle sprain suffered in Wednesday’s win, it opened up a roster spot.
He praised Caissie for his continuous focus on making adjustments, including cutting down on his in-zone swing-and-miss. It was a key indicator of his readiness to make the jump.
“I think back to his first season in [High-A] South Bend; he really struggled and his ability to face that adversity, it shows us a lot as an organization” Banner said. “It’s a credit to Owen, knowing what he needs to work on. He’s met that challenge every day.”
His latest challenge came by way of Blue Jays starter Max Scherzer. Caissie didn’t seem intimidated by the veteran, swinging at a first-pitch 93.5 mph fastball that eventually landed in Schneider’s glove.
Overall, he said he felt comfortable throughout the game.
It was also comforting for Caissie knowing he had family and friends in attendance cheering him on. Although he wasn’t sure of the final number, many of them made the short, 35-mile drive from his hometown.
When asked what his family meant to him and how they’ve supported him along his journey, Caissie began to choke up.
“It means everything,” Caissie said. “To do that at home, that’s pretty cool. They sacrificed pretty much everything for me.”