Victor Alcantara

Organization Prospect Rankings

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  Ranked Los Angeles Angels #4 prospect in 2016
  Alcantara continues to tantalize with his power arm and dynamic three-pitch mix, moving one level at a time since starting his Angels career in the Dominican Summer League in 2012. The results in his first try at high Class A Inland Empire were inconsistent. He mixed dominating starts with bad to go 7-12, 5.62 in 27 starts. Alcantara delivers his fastball from 92-97 mph with a violent arm action that significantly affects his command, but when he's going well, batters don't have comfortable at-bats. His 88-91 mph slider flashes plus at times but is inconsistent, and his changeup is an average pitch but too firm at 86-90 mph. While his command still grades as below-average, Alcantara's walk rates have dropped from 5.3 per nine innings in 2013 to 3.8 in 2015, with the biggest improvement coming by focusing on his direction to the plate. His stuff is as good as any pitcher's in the organization, but he needs to continue to repeat his delivery and throw strikes. His delivery has been compared with that of big league reliever Fernando Rodney. Alcantara will move to Double-A Arkansas in 2016. A majority of evaluators believe he would be better served as a power arm in the bullpen, but for now he'll remain in the rotation while refining his command.
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  Ranked Los Angeles Angels #7 prospect in 2015
  Regarded as more of a wild card in his first two pro seasons, with a strong arm but unpredictable control, Alcantara improved significantly in 2014 and made an appearance at the Futures Game at Target Field in Minneapolis. He moved into the low Class A Burlington rotation for good in late May and won a Midwest League playoff start with six scoreless innings. Alcantara possesses a powerful right arm, delivering a plus fastball up to 98 mph, but he pitches more effectively in the 93-94 range. His heater became a better pitch in 2014 as he added more sink to go with its natural movement. His slider also is an above-average pitch that he throws 88-89 mph with enough depth to miss barrels. His firm changeup that averages 89 mph can be at least an average pitch. Alcantara throws with a lot of effort from a high-three-quarters delivery and needs to be more consistent with his release point and delivery. As a result, he lacks control, not to mention command, having walked 4.3 batters per nine innings in 2014. Opponents hit just .219 against him, though, so his stuff clearly plays. Alcantara will move up to high Class A Inland Empire in 2015. He's got the pitches to remain in the rotation if he continues to improve his control and game-management skills, but he could also get to the big leagues as a hard-throwing reliever.
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  Ranked Los Angeles Angels #15 prospect in 2014
  With Alcantara, catchers don't yet know what they're going to get from pitch to pitch. He may bounce a fastball and follow it with another that forces the catcher to come out of his crouch to nab it. But in those instances where Alcantara delivers his pitch with proper tempo through his delivery, he has some of the best stuff in the organization. He tends to rush his motion, forcing his arm to try to catch up to his delivery. At other times, he'll stay back on the rubber too long, with his arm racing off ahead of his weight transfer. When he's in sync, Alcantara will run his fastball anywhere from 94-97 mph, and he's touched 100. His below-average slider is improving, and at it's best it's a tight pitch with late tilt that flashes average. Long-term, Alcantara projects as a late-inning power reliever, but he'll likely remain in the rotation for a while to get innings. He'll have to earn a full-season assignment in 2014 with a strong spring training.
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  Ranked Los Angeles Angels #18 prospect in 2013
  Martin Alcantara signed with the Indians in February 2011, four months before his younger brother agreed to a $174,000 bonus with the Angels. Victor was attractive because he was an 18-year-old with a projectable, athletic frame and a fastball that touched 93 mph. He since has morphed into a power arm, hitting 96 the winter after he signed and reaching 100 during his 2012 pro debut. Alcantara has a quick arm and a durable body, which allows him to hold mid-90s velocity deep into outings. He features a pure power approach, backing up his heater with an 86-88 mph slider. He's still learning a changeup, which won't get better unless he uses it more frequently. His control still needs a lot of work, and it could improve if the Angels succeed in smoothing out his delivery. If he can't develop an offspeed pitch and throw more strikes, Alcantara might not be more than a late-inning reliever, but he's still young and the Angels will develop him as a slider. They may challenge him with an assignment beyond the Arizona League in 2013.