Marlins Rising Star Slams Home Run for Team Canada in World Baseball Classic

The Miami Marlins have big plans for outfielder Owen Caissie. But they'll have to wait until Team Canada is done with him in the World Baseball Classic.

The Ontario native is playing for his home country in the biggest event of spring training, and he lit up the beginning of Canada’s pool play game with Colombia on Saturday in San Juan, Puerto Rico.

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He came up in the bottom of the second of a scoreless game and slammed a two-run home run to right field to put Canada up 2-0. The home run sailed into a Canadian flag held by two fans sitting in the stands.

Owen Caissie’s Rookie Season

Team Canada's first runs of the #WorldBaseballClassic come on an Owen Caissie home run! 🇨🇦 pic.twitter.com/8IXtDedjQp
— World Baseball Classic (@WBCBaseball) March 7, 2026

Caissie is one of baseball's top prospects, and the Marlins expect him to be part of the solution to their questions in the outfield in 2026. He hasn't slashed well in four spring training games — .111/.273/.111 — but he has a glove that should play well as an everyday right fielder.

Miami needs him to win a job. In January, he was acquired along with two other Chicago Cubs players from the Marlins in exchange for starting pitcher Edward Cabrera.

Miami wanted a significant return for Cabrera, in part because of the three years of team control he offered. The Cubs delivered Caissie, who made his MLB debut late last year and has been blocked from the Majors for more than a year due to veteran players.

Caissie has the potential to make the trade worth it. His minor league numbers were terrific. In 505 games he slashed .280/.384/.487 with 81 home runs and 301 RBI. He has a career OPS of .871. Before his call-up in August, he slashed .286/.386/.551 with a .937 OPS with 22 home runs and 55 RBI. His home run total matches his best minor league season.

He was originally drafted by the San Diego Padres in the second round of the 2020 MLB draft out of Notre Dame High School in Burlington Ont. The Padres didn’t have him long. San Diego included him in one of the biggest deals of the 2020-21 offseason.

The Chicago Cubs traded right-handed pitcher Yu Darvish, catcher Victor Caratini and cash to San Diego for right-handed pitcher Zach Davies, shortstop Reginald Preciado, shortstop Yeison Santana, outfielder Ismael Mena and Caissie. He was the only one that really paid off for the Cubs.

Chicago promoted Caissie to the majors for the first time in August after an injury to outfielder Kyle Tucker. Remarkably, the Cubs were in Toronto when he was promoted, and he made his MLB debut in front of his family. But he spent the final weeks of the season on the injured list after he suffered a concussion.

The Marlins are hoping for great production from him in 2026. But for now he’s dazzling in the WBC.