Caissie Dead People

Owen Caissie (MIA): 3-4, 2 2B, 2 R, 3 RBI.

Owen Caissie has found new life in Miami after headlining the Edward Cabrera trade over the offseason. In 12 games so far this season, Caissie has two home runs, one stolen base, and a .324/.385/.618/1.002 line. While those rate stats will come back to Earth slightly due to a 39 PA sample size, there’s a lot to like beneath the surface with Caissie.

The young rightfielder has hit the ball quickly (75.1 mph bat speed) and efficiently (47.4% LA Sweet Spot), which has helped him reach a 18.2% Barrel rate despite only a 36.4% Hard Hit rate this season. The latter two will likely meet in the middle as his numbers stabilize, but there may be 25+ home-run power here.

Caissie hit a career-high 23 home runs between Triple-A and the majors last season, after his average exit velocity jumped up to 92.1 mph across 433 plate appearances in Triple-A. In 2026, his average exit velocity is now up to 91.3 mph and the 23-year old will continue to get plenty of opportunities as the Miami Marlins look to climb out of yet another rebuild.

The biggest concern to watch here is Caissie’s strikeout rate. Last season’s 27.9% K rate in Triple-A was a career best and he’s started off 2026 with a 33.3% K rate. A 23.4% Chase rate and 75 zDV+ have held him back as his 99 oDV is just under league average. There’s star potential here if Caissie can learn to make better decisions outside of the zone.

 

Let’s see how the other hitters did Thursday:

Xander Bogaerts (SDP): 2-6, HR, 2 R, 4 RBI, 2 SB.

At 33 years old with back-to-back seasons of 11 home runs under his belt, Xander Bogaerts has been flying under the radar. Until last night, when he notched a pair of steals before giving the San Diego Padres the win with a walk-off grand slam in the twelfth inning. Father Time hasn’t come for Bogaerts yet, as the 108.3 mph bomb has brought his average exit velocity up to 89.7 mph, which would be his highest mark since his 33-homer 2019 season.

It’s easy to write this off as a fluke, but managers waiting for a youngster like Konnor Griffin to break out should take a look at riding out Bogaerts in the meantime.

 

Josh Bell (MIN): 3-4, HR, R, RBI.

Josh Bell continued his hot start to 2026 yesterday, going 3-for-4 with his third home run of the year. Bell’s homer was a 106.0 mph, no-doubter that put the Twins on the board in the fourth inning. The switch-hitting first baseman has quietly put up numbers that look similar to his elite 2019 campaign while hitting cleanup for the Minnesota Twins.

Don’t be fooled, though. Bell’s .400 BABIP is over a full tick above his career .284, so there’s certainly some regression on the horizon. Ride the hot streak while you can; production is production.

 

Luis Robert Jr. (NYM): 1-3, HR, R, RBI, BB.

Luis Robert Jr. hit the second home run of his New York Mets career last night. The 109.8 mph bomb was a welcome sight as his average exit velocity had dropped to 88.5 mph. Robert has disappointed over the last two seasons. Between injuries and an inflated strikeout rate, he failed to crack 15 home runs while struggling to stay above the Mendoza Line.

It’s easy to forget Robert is only 28 years old, though, and his plate discipline has taken a step forward in Queens. Last night’s performance brought Robert up to an even 22.0% BB rate and 22.0% K rate, alongside a 130 DV+.

Good decisions tend to lead to good results. Am I really suggesting trading for Robert? Yeah, I’m surprised too. The risk is worth the reward.

 

Brenton Doyle (COL): 2-4, HR, R, RBI, BB.

I’m wary of Brenton Doyle. The Colorado Rockies outfielder picked up his first home run of the year last night, but on a shallow 104.7 mph, 408-foot flyball. The good news is that Doyle’s average exit velocity is up to 92.4 mph so far this season. The bad news is that everything else seems to be more in line with his 15 home runs/18 stolen bases in 2025 than his 23 home runs/30 stolen bases in 2024.

I wouldn’t panic sell on Doyle just yet, especially while he’s sitting on a .250 BABIP. It’s worth testing the market, though, and seeing if someone wants to jump on the Coors Field factor here.

 

Jose Fernandez (ARI): 2-4, 2B, R, RBI.

Jose Fernandez has seen his stock rise quickly over the last month. Fernandez flashed his power-speed combo last season, recording 17 homers and 12 steals in Double-A. After only one game in Triple-A to start the season, he was called up to the majors, where he’s been one of the biggest surprises of 2026. In eight major league games, Fernandez has gone 8-for-24 with two homers, one steal, five runs, and five RBI. Arguably most impressive of all, he’s done it all with a 20.8% strikeout rate.

Fernandez’s 75.6 mph bat speed hopefully indicates that his 86.9 mph average exit velocity will rise as his numbers stabilize. There may be some bad luck in play, too, given a 76 Pitch Runs value that shows he’s faced some of the toughest pitches in baseball this season. You can take that speed to the bank with a 28.9 ft/s sprint speed and 112 Contact+.

 

Max Muncy (ATH): 2-4, 2B, 3B, R.

The power-hitting Max Muncy has put the hot in hot corner out in California- no, not that Max Muncy, this one’s right-handed and 12 years younger. Sacramento’s Muncy has gone 15-for-47 with two homers, one steal, and 11 runs scored in 12 games so far. Even when his .448 BABIP regresses, Muncy has the tools to be a valuable contributor. He’s been smacking the cover off the ball with a 95.5 mph average exit velocity, 74.4 mph bat speed, 12.1% barrel rate, and 67.7% hard-hit rate.

While the younger Muncy may lack the refined plate discipline of his older counterpart, he’s made up for it with a superior hit tool and decent speed (27.9 ft/s sprint speed).

 

Ben Rice (NYY): 1-4, SB.

New York Yankees first baseman Ben Rice has led the team in nearly every category to start the season.

While it’s only a matter of time before Aaron Judge catches fire, the Yankees have entrusted Rice with the cleanup spot and with good reason. The 27-year-old lefty currently sits in the 99th percentile or higher in average exit velocity (96.3 mph), barrel rate (21.7%), and hard-hit rate (73.9%). By our own metrics here at PL, Rice also ranks fourth in baseball in Process+ behind only Yordan Alvarez, Freddie Freeman, and Francisco Alvarez. Cha-ching!

 

Luisangel Acuña (CHW): 0-3, RBI.

I’ll admit this is a reach based on the box score, but bear with me, as last night was only a six-game slate. There’s real value here with Luisangel Acuña, too, even without his older brother’s power. Acuña is one of the fastest players in the league with a 29.6 ft/s sprint speed, and his contact skills are better than they look. While a .231 batting average isn’t the most inspiring, a 110 Contact+, 98 DV+ (112 zDV+/93 oDV+), and .257 BABIP suggest that a breakout may be in his future. The plate discipline isn’t bad either.

Another thing that doesn’t show up in the stat line above is that it was Acuña’s ninth game at center field. He should gain outfield eligibility in most formats at some point this weekend now that Tristan Peters has shifted to right field.