Prospect News: Can Owen Caissie Bring Joy To Wrigleyville?

The Cubs recalled OF Owen Caissie this week to help spell OF Kyle Tucker, who has been mired in a deep slump for a month. Since July 3rd, he’s slashing .186/.331/.239 over 33 games. There’s nowhere for Caissie to play in an everyday way, so this promotion feels a little strange even as Caissie has certainly earned it, cutting his strikeouts over the last few months, slashing .326/.420/.628 with 16 home runs in his last 59 games. All the Cubs fans I know are pretty doom and gloom about this season now that the team is nine games behind Milwaukee in the National League Central, but the Cubs are still in the thick of the Wild Card race. Perhaps Caissie can bring some hope with him whenever he steps up to bat. 

Here’s what I wrote about newly promoted Rays 1B Robert Seymour in Prospect News: What About Bob? Can We Seymour Of Bob? 

“Rays 1B Bob Seymour (26, AAA) might not be a big piece of the plan in Tampa, but he’s peeking over some shoulders while they ponder the blueprints. A 13th round pick out of Wake Forest in 2021, he has smashed his way through every level despite a modest defensive ceiling and a bit of a strikeout problem, although that might going the way of the dodo. Over his last 26 games, he’s slashing .343/.397/.676 with a 19.8 percent strikeout rate and a 172 wRC+. I’m not saying this is who he’ll be at the highest level, but I think players are closer to clay than cement, and Seymour is worth a look in just about every league if he gets a chance in the big leagues.” 

The only thing that’s changed since this article from June 25 is Bob’s name on Fangraphs. He’s Robert now, which does make him sound a little more like a prospect. This looks like more than a short-term opportunity because Jonathan Aranda is out with a broken wrist. Perhaps Seymour could even hit his way into the 2026 picture with a hot stretch. Yandy Diaz is scheduled to make $12 million next year in his age 34 season with a club option at $10 million for 2027.  

Braves RHP Hurston Waldrep has allowed just two runs in his 17.2 MLB innings this year, giving Atlanta’s pitching staff a little respite at a difficult time of the season. A first-round pick out of Florida in 2023, Waldrep has struggled to keep his WHIP down as he’s climbed the ladder, but he’s also kept the ball in the park throughout his professional career. I was a little surprised to see the draft year was 2023 because my perception was that Waldrep had been around a while. I think that’s a side-effect of covering the game in a dynasty way, but there’s something else in it. I expect first-round SEC pitchers to fly through the minors and dominate. When they don’t, it looks like a little reg flag, but I think that’s wrong. Development takes time. It’s not linear. Waldrep actually reached the majors last year. His ascent has been anything but slow, in the long history of the game. College players are more ready now than ever, but that doesn’t mean everyone can follow the same timeline. 

Here’s what I said about new Rockies 3B Kyle Karros on July 30 in Prospect News: Warming Up In Coors or Freeland Could Be Costly:

“The next step for Colorado might be to make room for 3B Kyle Karros. They’re playing Orlando Arcia at third base and could simply stop doing that. Karros isn’t on the 40-man roster and has played just nine games in Triple-A, where he has continued to control the strike zone and is posting a .390 on base percentage after sitting at .399 through 55 Double-A games.”

I just know we’ve got some readers in the Rockies’ front office. So far so good for Kyle, who’s slashing .321/.406/.429 through eight major league games. He’s not as powerful as you might expect from a guy who checks in at 6’5” 220 lbs, but contact is the name of the game in Coors these days, and I’m optimistic. 

I was happy to snag Braves RHP Owen Murphy (21, A+) in a 20-team dynasty league this week. A first-round pick out of high school in 2022, he had a 0.73 WHIP through 41 innings across seven starts as a 20-year-old in High-A when his elbow went caput and he had Tommy John surgery. We’re about 15 months beyond that now, and Murphy just threw five hitless innings in a High-A start against Boston’s affiliate in hitter friendly Greenville. He’s yet to allow a run in 11.1 innings this season, and while that’s a miniscule sample of three starts, it’s impressive to see him hit the ground running. Command tends to come last on the comeback trail, and Murphy did hit a guy and throw a wild pitch in that Greenville outing, but he’s mostly hitting his spots and dominating. Get him where you can fit him. 

Blue Jays RHP Fernando Perez (21, AA) earned a promotion to Double-A this week after logging a 1.12 WHIP in 94.1 innings at High-A. The full-season line doesn’t tell the whole story here, as Perez was kind of bad early and incredible of late. His WHIP since May 27th is 0.94. He allowed just ten walks over those 63 innings. It’s a command and control approach with plus off-speed command of his changeup and curveball. He would need a velocity bump and maybe another weapon to become a fantasy mainstay, but that’s pretty common these days with 6-foot-3, 170-pound youngsters. 

Thanks for reading!