MLB Insider Drops Bold Owen Caissie Prediction For 2026
The Chicago Cubs have a pretty incredible player developing in the farm system for what seems like far too long: outfielder Owen Caissie. Caissie's opportunity to join the majors has been hindered due to a stacked outfield that included Ian Happ, Pete Crow-Armstrong, and Kyle Tucker. But more opportunities should arise in 2026.
There is plenty of speculation about Tucker's future with the team, which appears fairly bleak. Tucker is going to require whatever team picks him up to spend a pretty penny, and arguably, the Cubs should not be the ones to do it after his performance this year.
With the veteran likely departing, this will give the opportunity for Caissie to step into a more permanent role with the club, which feels long overdue. Caissie might have made his debut this year, but it wasn't for very long despite helping the team overcome the Milwaukee Brewers in a five-game playoff series.
Jonathan Hui-Imagn Images
Now, with the likelihood of Caissie stepping onto the field with a heavier workload for the Cubs, there is one MLB insider, JIm Callis, who has rightfully named the 23-year-old a candidate for next year's National League Rookie of the Year.
"I've always been a big Owen Caissie fan. I pound the table for him whenever we're doing rankings. He's always been very young for his league. He's always produced. He repeated Triple-A -- which I don't see as a negative because he was 22 years old when he repeated it -- and hit 41 homers at Triple-A over the past two seasons," said Callis.
Caissie in Professional Baseball Thus Far
At 18 years old and fresh out of high school, he was drafted by the San Diego Padres, but a few short months later, Caissie was dealt to the Cubs, who had shown a great deal of interest in the top prospect before that 2020 draft.
David Banks-Imagn Images
After spending five seasons in the Cubs' farm system, he has emerged as their (arguably) No.1 prospect, which makes him a near shoo-in for the 2026 opening day roster. He worked his way to Triple-A and spent both 2024 and 2025 there. And in that time, he has been more than impressive.
226 games with the Triple-A Iowa Cubs
- .282 Batting Average
- .381 On-Base Percentage
- .512 Slugging Percentage
- .893 OPS
- 237 Total Hits
- 57 Doubles
- 5 Triples
- 41 Home Runs
- 130 RBI
- 128 Drawn Walks
- 16 Stolen Bases
If Caissie looks anything like he did in Triple-A the past two seasons, then he could easily be in contention for the lucrative Rookie of the Year title.
Justin Turner Wants to Retire as a Member of the Dodgers
Justin Turner may have played for the Chicago Cubs this past year, but he still remains one of the most popular Los Angeles Dodgers players in recent memory.
As the story goes, Turner was a little-used utility man for much of his career before exploding with his hometown team starting in 2014.
For nine years, Turner was among the team leaders. He made two All-Star appearances during this stretch, won the 2017 NLCS MVP Award, and was a core member of the 2020 World Series winning team. He’s since featured for four other ballclubs (Cubs, Seattle Mariners, Toronto Blue Jays, Boston Red Sox). However, his impact and imprint on this franchise is undeniable.
A native of Southern California, Turner remains a fixture in the community. He recently just hosted his ninth annual Justin Turner Foundation Golf Classic in Thousand Oaks.
When speaking to the media, Turner, now a free agent approaching his 41st birthday in late November, offered a very interesting comment pertaining to the Dodgers. He was asked specifically about the reality that retirement is right around the corner.
“I mean, I think it’s pretty obvious that the biggest chunk of my career came in LA with those nine years. The turning point in my career came when I put the Dodgers uniform on. The one title I won was with the Dodgers. That’s definitely, I think, I don’t even want to get down to that yet but it’s probably a slam dunk that [retiring with the Dodgers on a one-day contract] will happen that way. I don’t know, we’ll see what happens. If there was one [franchise to retire with], I think the obvious one would be the Dodgers.”
Turner played sparingly for the Cubs this year, hitting .219 with three homers and 18 runs batted in. The veteran presence he brings to any clubhouse would be a major benefit. However, given his diminished bat speed and mobility from a defensive standpoint, it would be mildly surprising if he was picked up with another ballclub.
As he eventually hits the next stage of his career, it would not be surprising in the least to see him end up in the Dodgers organization as a coach or front office consultant.
