Marlins Rookie Emerging as Potential X-Factor for 2026 Season
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When Miami Marlins president of baseball operations Peter Bendix decided to trade two of his starting pitchers, Edward Cabrera and Ryan Weathers, the returns were a handful of prospects. Some could even step in and help the Marlins in 2026.
Cabrera was traded to the Chicago Cubs in a deal that returned some prospects, which was headlined by outfielder Owen Caissie. The 23-year-old was Chicago's top prospect in the minors the last couple of years before he made his way to the Windy City to make his MLB debut.
Now traded to the Marlins, Caissie is in position to crack the Opening Day roster and solidify a spot in the lineup. Joe Reuter of Bleacher Report listed each MLB team's best power-hitting prospect for the upcoming season and it was no surprise that Caissie was tabbed as Miami's choice.
Marlins Rising Prospect Owen Caissie Could Be X-Factor in 2026
There is no doubt that Caissie has a bright future with a ton of power. After proving everything he could in the minors the last two years in the Cubs organization, he's ready to make the jump to the majors full-time.
"After hitting .281/.380/.507 with 41 home runs in 226 games at Triple-A over the last two seasons, Caissie has nothing left to prove in the minors, and the blockbuster deal that sent him to the Marlins as part of the Edward Cabrera package should give him a clear runway to an everyday job. There is 30-homer power in his smooth left-handed swing, even if there is also some swing-and-miss,'' Reuter wrote.
Caissie came up last year and in a game against the Milwaukee Brewers in August and hit his first home run and drove in three runs in a 6-4 Cubs win. In 26 at-bats in August and September, Caissie had five hits and drove in four runs. If there is a concern, it is his strikeouts, as he whiffed 11 times in 2025.
Despite the high volume of strikeouts, there is a lot to like about Caissie. He has the power, as Reuter said, to be a 30-home run hitter from the left side of the plate. If he can nail down a spot in the Marlins lineup in 2026 for manager Clayton McCullough, then it gives Miami a good outfielder who can hit for power with Kyle Stowers.
A lot of questions surround the Marlins in terms of whether or not they have enough pitching to make a push for the playoffs after dealing Cabrera and Weathers. If they are going to make a push for October baseball, players like Caissie stepping up and solidifying a spot in the lineup is a must. If he can, then that makes the trade worth it for Bendix and McCullough.
