Sandy Alcantara Beefs Up For Big Role

ST. LOUIS The significant leap Sandy Alcantara took in 2016—from lithe righthander to power starter, from compelling prospect to Class A star—puts him one small step away from the majors.

The 21-year-old arrived at big league camp as a non-roster invitee with the chance to impress the major league coaches. Some within the organization believe the strapping flame-thrower could be on a trail blazed in recent years by Trevor Rosenthal and Carlos Martinez.

Alcantara is earmarked for the Double-A Springfield rotation and for him, like Rosenthal and Martinez, that means he’s on the doorstep of St. Louis.

“When you think about where Rosey was or Carlos Martinez was in their careers, I think Sandy is paralleling them,” general manager John Mozeliak said. “What could this year look like for him? It wouldn’t shock me if he pitched in the big leagues.”

Mozeliak was present at a game when Alcantara showed why.

Deep into the season, the righthander unleashed a 102 mph fastball, with several members of the front office in attendance. He routinely touched triple digits, and like top prospect Alex Reyes he is been able to maintain velocity deep into starts.

At two levels last season, Alcantara went 5-11, 3.96 in 23 starts, and he struck out 153 batters in 122.2 innings.

Alcantara, who signed out of the Dominican Republic in 2013, started showing flashes of a breaking ball that he could use as more than a show pitch. Now his feel for an offspeed pitch has grown, as has he.

A beanpole when the Cardinals saw him a year ago, Alcantara arrived at camp this year with the build of a basketball power forward.

“The biggest thing was he just became more physically mature. He looks different,” Mozeliak said. “You always hate judging a book by its cover, but you look at him now and he looks the part.”

REDBIRD CHIRPS

• A few early injuries allowed the Cardinals to invite young righthanders Junior Fernandez and Jacob Woodford to big league camp.

• Righthander Kendry Flores did not pass his physical and required shoulder surgery soon after reporting. The Cardinals voided his minor league contract.

— Derrick Goold covers the Cardinals for the St. Louis Post-Dispatch