Sergio Alcantara Shines In Dominican

PHOENIX—In less than a year, Sergio Alcantara went from a player whose career seemed to be moving backward to someone opening eyes in Latin America.

The 20-year-old shortstop had a solid showing for Licey in the Dominican League, where he earned praise for his defense and for holding his own at the plate.

“He was the talk of winter ball,” farm director Mike Bell said. “I kept hearing from different people who were down there. ‘You should have seen this play. You should have seen this at-bat. Or he’s the leader of this team.’ They said just his presence made a difference on the team, which is crazy for a 20-year-old.”

Alcantara signed out of the Dominican Republic for $700,000 in July 2012 and was sent to low Class A Kane County to open the 2015 season. But after he went just 8-for-71 (.113), the Diamondbacks demoted him to extended spring before reassigning him to short-season Hillsboro later in the summer.

Bell thinks the organization rushed him. Not wanting to make the same mistake twice, Arizona kept Alcantara in extended for more than a month in 2016 before sending him back to Kane County.

“(The Midwest League is) such a tough league, especially for someone who is still developing physically,” Bell said. “This time, we made sure he was physically prepared. We spent time with him in terms of nutrition, health, strength. We talked to him about it. He was very receptive. He worked hard at it.”

Alcantara hit .267/.313/.328 in the MWL before finishing in the high Class A California League, where he “stood out for all the right reasons,” Bell said, during Visalia’s run to the championship series.

“It’s more defense over bat—he’s a plus defender,” Bell said. “But with his approach at the plate, I think he has a chance to be a productive hitter.”

SNAKE BITES

• The D-backs held a “futures camp” in January that exposed 10 prospects to community service and instruction from big league staff. Lefthander Anthony Banda, righthander Jimmie Sherfy and shortstops Domingo Leyba and Jack Reinheimer were among the participants.

• Former D-backs second baseman Orlando Hudson will be involved more on the field in 2017 as a player-development assistant.

— Nick Piecoro covers the Diamondbacks for the AZCentralSports.com