Sandy Alcántara

Sandy Alcántara Montero (born September 7, 1995) is a Dominican professional baseball pitcher for the Miami Marlins of Major League Baseball (MLB). He previously played for the St. Louis Cardinals.

This article uses Spanish naming customs: the first or paternal family name is Alcántara and the second or maternal family name is Montero.
Sandy Alcántara
Alcántara with the Baby Cakes in 2018
Miami Marlins – No. 22
Pitcher
Born: (1995-09-07) September 7, 1995
San Juan de la Maguana, Dominican Republic
Bats: Right Throws: Right
MLB debut
September 3, 2017, for the St. Louis Cardinals
MLB statistics
(through 2019 season)
Win–loss record8–17
Earned run average3.83
Strikeouts191
Teams
Career highlights and awards
Alcántara with the Springfield Cardinals in 2017

Early life

Sandy Alcántara was born in San Juan de la Maguana in the Dominican Republic.[1] He is one of 11 children.[1] When he was 11 years old, his parents sent him to live with an older sister in the capital, Santo Domingo, where he could both study for school and attend baseball practice.[2] He dropped out of school in eighth grade to concentrate on a baseball career.[1]

Career

St. Louis Cardinals

In July 2013, at age 16, Alcántara signed with the St. Louis Cardinals as an international free agent.[3] He made his professional debut in 2014 with the Dominican Summer League Cardinals and spent the whole season there, going 1-9 with a 3.97 ERA in 12 games (11 starts). He spent 2015 with the Gulf Coast Cardinals where he pitched to a 4-4 record and 3.22 ERA in 12 games started, and started 2016 with the Peoria Chiefs.[4] During a start in May he tied the Chiefs record with 14 strikeouts.[5][6] He was promoted to the Palm Beach Cardinals in July 2016. He finished the 2016 season with a combined 5-11 record with a 3.96 ERA in 23 games started between both clubs.

Alcántara began 2017 with the Springfield Cardinals. After pitching to a 7-5 record and 4.31 ERA in a career high 125.1 innings,[7] the Cardinals promoted him to the major leagues on September 1, 2017.[8] After the season, the Cardinals assigned Alcántara to the Surprise Saguaros of the Arizona Fall League (AFL),[9] where he was selected to the Fall Stars Game. He pitched 15 total innings in the AFL, finishing the season with five games started, a 1-2 record, and a 4.20 ERA.

Miami Marlins

On December 14, 2017, the Cardinals traded Alcántara, along with Magneuris Sierra, Zac Gallen, and Daniel Castano, to the Miami Marlins for Marcell Ozuna.[10] MLB.com ranked Alcántara as Miami's third-best prospect going into the 2018 season.[11] He began 2018 with the New Orleans Baby Cakes, and was recalled by Miami on June 28.[12] He made his Marlins debut on June 29 as the starting pitcher, pitching five innings in which he gave up one run on three hits and five walks while striking out two, earning the win as Miami defeated the New York Mets 8-2.[13] He was placed on the 10-day disabled list on with a right axillary infection.[14] On May 19, 2019 Alcantara pitched an 89 pitch two-hit Maddux against the New York Mets.[15]

He was the sole Miami Marlins player named to the 2019 Major League Baseball All-Star Game.[16] Called on to pitch the eighth inning, he retired the side.[17]

Alcántara owns several Marlins franchise records, including most innings pitched by a rookie and most innings pitched and strikeouts by a Dominican-born player.[18]

Pitching style

Alcántara's fastball velocity generally sits between 93-98 miles per hour, maxing out around 100 mph. He uses both a four-seam fastball and a sinker, which possesses above-average vertical and horizontal movement. His secondary pitches are the changeup (89 mph average velocity), slider (86 mph) and curveball (82 mph).[19]

Philanthropy

In partnership with The Giving Much More (GMM) Foundation, and The Baseball Club. Alcántara hosted multiple fundraising events in 2019 to collect baseball equipment for underprivileged youth in his native Dominican Republic. This included the first annual "Softball with the Sandman" Charity Baseball Tournament on his 24th birthday.[20]

After completing his 2019 season, Alcántara traveled to the Dominican Republic to deliver the equipment directly to the children.[21]

References
  1. Ortiz, Jose de Jesus (September 24, 2017). "Ortiz: Faith and family steer Cardinals rookie Alcantara". St. Louis Post-Dispatch. Retrieved July 21, 2019.
  2. Martinez, Andy (May 29, 2019). "Faith, family help Alcántara's Major League ascent". La Vida Baseball. Retrieved July 21, 2019.
  3. "Cardinals Sign Dominican Righthander Sandy Alcantara - BaseballAmerica.com". July 2, 2013. Retrieved September 26, 2016.
  4. Eminian, Dave. "Radar love: Chiefs starter Sandy Alcantara has hit 102 mph on the speed gun". Retrieved September 26, 2016.
  5. Eminian, Dave. "Chiefs Helsley celebrates his Cherokee Indian heritage; Alcantara strikes out 14 but Peoria loses, 5-4". Retrieved September 26, 2016.
  6. "Alcantara Strikes out 14, Chiefs Fall 5-4 - MiLB.com News - The Official Site of Minor League Baseball". Retrieved September 26, 2016.
  7. "Sandy Alcantara Stats, Highlights, Bio - MiLB.com Stats - The Official Site of Minor League Baseball". MiLB.com. Retrieved February 19, 2018.
  8. Ortiz, Jose de Jesus (September 1, 2017). "Alcantara overwhelmed by surprise call-up". St. Louis Post-Dispatch. Retrieved 2019-05-11.
  9. Goold, Derrick. "Elite prospects Alcantara, Hicks among eight young Cards headed to AFL". St. Louis Post-Dispatch. Retrieved December 9, 2017.
  10. Frisaro, Joe (December 14, 2017). "Trade finalized: Ozuna dealt for STL prospects". MLB.com. Retrieved December 14, 2017.
  11. "Brinson leads Marlins' revamped Top 30". MLB.com. Retrieved February 22, 2018.
  12. DeFranks, Matthew. "Sandy Alcantara 'can't wait to get out there' for Marlins debut Friday night".
  13. "Sandy Alcantara wins Marlins debut vs. Mets". MLB.com.
  14. "Sandy Alcantara placed on 10-day DL". MLB.com.
  15. "Alcantara pitches 2-hitter, Miami beats reeling Mets 3-0". USA TODAY. Retrieved 2019-05-20.
  16. McPherson, Jordan (June 30, 2019). "Sandy Alcantara representing Miami Marlins at All-Star Game". Miami Herald. Retrieved July 21, 2019.
  17. Levin, David (July 11, 2019). "Marlins pitcher Sandy Alcantara needs to build on All-Star performance". marlinmaniac.com. Retrieved July 21, 2019.
  18. "Most Strikeouts in a Single Season, Florida/Miami Marlins pitchers born in Dominican Republic". Baseball-Reference.com. Retrieved 2019-12-22.
  19. "Sandy Alcantara Statcast, Visuals & Advanced Metrics | MLB.com". baseballsavant.com. Retrieved 2019-12-22.
  20. Sussman, Ely (2019-09-07). "Sandy Alcantara hosts charity softball tournament to fundraise for Dominican youth league". Fish Stripes. Retrieved 2019-12-22.
  21. "Sandy Alcantara on Instagram: "Over the weekend #SoftballWithTheSandman came full circle. Our goal was to collect as much equipment as possible to bring back to DR for…"". Instagram. Retrieved 2019-12-22.
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