Sandy Alcantara Bides His Time At Triple-A

Righthander Sandy Alcantara doesn’t lack for confidence.

The 22-year-old Dominican with the golden arm—his fastball has reached 102 mph—doesn’t feel he belongs anywhere but in the majors.

“I have to wait for (the Marlins’) decision,” Alcantara said in Spanish. “But I feel I should’ve been in the majors a long time ago. Sometimes it makes me mad. I attack hitters so that they know I should not be in the minors.”

Alcantara made his major league debut last year with the Cardinals. Even though he had been a starter his entire career, he was used eight times—all in relief—and recorded a 4.32 ERA in 8.1 innings. He struck out 10, allowing nine hits and six walks.

This year, pitching at Triple-A for the first time, Alcantara went 3-1, 3.43 through 10 starts for New Orleans. He had 43 strikeouts and 21 walks in 60.1 innings.

“He throws hard, but they will hit you as you go up levels if that’s all you have,” New Orleans manager Arnie Beyeler said of Alcantara, who was acquired by the Marlins in the December Marcell Ozuna trade. “He needs more reps. He’s done a good job, but he needs to continue to develop his fastball command.”

Alcantara was 16 when he signed with the Cardinals for $125,000 in 2013. He was 6-foot-3 and 170 pounds at the time, and he threw 92 mph.

Now he is 6-foot-5, 203 pounds and throws gas.

He lifts weights every day except for the day before he pitches and the day he pitches. Besides the fastball, he has a sinker, slider, changeup and a curveball that Beyeler said gets a lot of check-swing strikes.

“I have five pitches that would be nasty in the majors right now,” Alcantara said. “With two strikes, I throw fastballs. If they foul it off, I throw it again. If they foul that, I throw a change, and . . . you’re gone.”

 

>> Third baseman James Nelson had the first surgery of his career in March after hurting his left knee while running out of the batter’s box. It was a meniscus tear, but Nelson could reach high Class A Jupiter by June after hitting .309 at low Class A Greensboro last year.