Owen Caissie Forcing Cubs’ Hand as Blackout Mentality Powers Doubleheader Sweep
The Cubs entered their five-game series against the Brewers with an MLB-low 44 runs in August, giving them an average of 2.93 runs per game over a 15-game stretch that was more than long enough to raise concerns. Over that same period, their worst offensive performer was the man they’d made a splash to acquire in the offseason as the core of what they hoped would be a deep playoff run. For whatever reason, Kyle Tucker remained near the top of the order despite wearing his frustration and fatigue plainly in his body language.
“I’m gonna give an answer that will frustrate people: Hit your best players at the top of the lineup the most often,” Jed Hoyer said prior to the series opener when asked about Tucker’s playing time. “I was taught that 25 years ago by Bill James…[It’s] really simple and it works.
After Monday’s 7-0 loss, in which the Cubs collected just two total hits and Tucker rolled over weakly to the right side three times in an 0-for-4 effort, the decision was made to give the All-Star a break. It felt like a decision that came way too late in light of Tucker’s performance, and possibly his health, but it’s better than trotting him out there and hoping for the best.
Craig Counsell originally said Owen Caissie hadn’t “crossed the bar” of good outfielders on the team, although those outfielders on the roster hadn’t been producing for most of the second half. Meanwhile, Caissie had been killing the ball in Triple-A. After debuting in Toronto, the top prospect sat on the bench for the entirety of Chicago’s series against the Pirates, with his only action coming as a pinch hitter for Matt Shaw.
Caissie finally got the call to face Freddy Peralta on Monday against the Brewers and didn’t disappoint, driving his first major league hit to the opposite field.
?️: Grab that baseball
Congrats on your first @MLB hit, @owen_caissie! pic.twitter.com/XCUQZ7CiNw
— Chicago Cubs (@Cubs) August 18, 2025
The doubleheader on Tuesday allowed Caissie two more chances to get playing time, and he continued to impact the team on both sides of the ball. He gave the Cubs an early lead in the 1st inning of the matinee with a two-run single, later adding on a crucial insurance run with his first career longball. He also made two nice catches up against the wall in the right field well, which isn’t exactly easy if you don’t have much experience at Wrigley Field.
It was almost too much for the young slugger to process.
“Kind of just blackout, really,” Caissie joked after the game. “Especially on the home run. I hit it and — ‘Hit the ball and run.’ I didn’t even think about it going over the fence, especially with the wind. It’s just kind of a blackout mentality.”
With the Cubs down early in the nightcap, Caissie worked a seven-pitch full count before dropping a game-tying single into left field. He then came around to score on Michael Busch‘s RBI double, showing that he’s got plenty of speed to pair with the bat and glove. Though it’s only a few games, Caissie’s impact on the team raises questions as to why he wasn’t in the lineup earlier. It was so obvious the Cubs needed someone or something to spark the offense that even their rivals knew the kid would be able to offer some help.
“It looks like he’s a big-time prospect, 6-[foot]-12, and he’s a redhead,” Brewers manager Pat Murphy quipped between games. “There’s not too many redheads in the big leagues who can’t hit. Check it out. They don’t bring redheads up here if they can’t hit. Yeah, what a skilled player he is. A good-looking player.”
Caissie is proving that the Cubs need to find a spot for him moving forward, though where he will play when Tucker returns is an open question. Rotating him between the corner outfield spots and DH appears to be the best choice at the moment. Even if Tucker regains his form, Ian Happ and Seiya Suzuki could both use days off from time to time. Besides, the Cubs need to get a much of a sample as they can while weighing their options about how to address right field next season and beyond.
If Big Red keeps blacking out, we could be seeing a lot more of him in the outfield for years to come. Unless, that is, the Cubs find a way to set the bar even higher.
