The vanity and delight Cubs prospect Kevin Alcantara has gives him the pliability to dream enormous.

“My goal this yr is to make it to the big leagues,” said the 20-year-old outfielder. “I’ll do my most interesting to make it to the big leagues this yr.”

These are very lofty goals, not lower than from the floor.

In any case, 2022 was his first expert season, 4 steps away from the primary leagues at Myrtle Seaside in Class A. Nonetheless with which have of his and the reality that he was added to his 40-man roster this winter, we take into account he can set a extreme bar.

Alcántara is not any run-of-the-mill Class A candidate. He’s a consensus excessive 100 contender in baseball, the form of participant a scout targets of, an infinite physique with a unusual combination of vitality and tempo. He recorded his 15 residence runs (his sixth inside the Carolina league), hit a league-high 85 residence runs, added 14 stolen bases, and demonstrated his whole prowess on the offensive aspect of the ball. rice self-discipline.

Nonetheless my biggest accomplishment for 2022 was finding out endurance and self-discipline on the plate. Alcantara, who had his first fashion of a full season {{of professional}} ball, dealt with the ups and downs of the baseball season and outlined learn the way to take care of all of them correctly. Nonetheless, the Valley of Seasons is the place he realized in all probability probably the most.

“Sometimes the swing is true and it’s possible you’ll’t see the ball,” Alcantara said. “These are adjustments that ought to be reworked time, and attempt to take heed to them.”

The Carolina League is known to be a tricky league for hitters, nevertheless the 6-foot-6-inch outlook indicated he would possibly succeed. He recorded his 124 weighted RBI, 24 p.c above his league widespread, and had a . 811 OPS, every of which ranked among the many many league’s excessive ten eligible hitters.

It started collectively together with his pitch selection.

“Sometimes pitchers try and mentally disrupt avid gamers, so I’ve realized to seek for my pitches inside the zone and throw them offensively,” Alcantara said. “I spotted fairly a bit inside the league I was in. It isn’t identical to the majors the place you throw pitches on the sting of Double A’s. No, they’re attempting to trick you.” They pitch you harmful. I will throw quite a lot of These are the adjustments I labored on that yr. ”

Nonetheless Class Profitable alone does not make him a severe leaguer.

Alcantara is conscious of he has the extra bodily maturity he should proceed to develop as a participant.

“weight’ said Alcantara, simply breaking into his native Spanish. “I watch my weight. Add [weight] And even faster. I must hold sturdy and agile.

He’s carried out it this offseason, together with 10 kilos to his lean physique in hopes of steady to appreciate further weight. Nonetheless he has a steadiness. Part of his attraction as a prospect is his combination of vitality and tempo.

“Really, I’ve been working fairly a bit with my weight and my tempo because of people say the big guys are sluggish. I’ll current you in another case,” said Alcantara.

Thought of one in all his favorite avid gamers is his provide of inspiration.

Alcántara doesn’t try and mildew his recreation from a particular participant, he tries to emulate components of the game of varied avid gamers. Thought of one in all them is his AL MVP Aaron Resolve. Already one amongst his enormous outfielders confirmed his vitality, hitting his career-best 16 bases in 2022.

Alongside together with his lofty goals this season, Alcantara might presumably adjust to the template of youthful Atlanta participant Vaughan Grissom. The 21-year-old coronary heart fielder spent lots of the 2021 season with Class-A Augusta sooner than ending the season with Extreme-A his Roma. He started in Extreme-A in 2022, earned promotion to Double-A, carried out 22 video video games there sooner than being known as as a lot because the majors and has not returned since. , is a shortstop candidate to battle Atlanta.

“Wherever they put me, I’ll do the job,” Alcantara said.

And he wants to point that to Cubs followers.

He acquired a glimpse of what fandom is like finally month’s Cubs convention.

“People may say, ‘They traded Anthony Rizzo for this man,'” Alcantara said. “I must current the followers that I can do it and that I is often a well-known particular person too.

“I must current people proper right here that selling Rizzo was not in ineffective.”

The Cubs take into account him too.

“He has quite a lot of devices in his instrument bag,” said Jared Banner, vp of participant development for the Cubs. A pacesetter amongst us, and we’re really excited to see what he’ll do this yr.”

Alcántara believes Cubs followers will see his imposing decide and charisma finally. That’s his message to them.

“I’ll work as arduous as I can to permit them to see me inside the enormous leagues as rapidly as attainable and current what I can do,” Alcantara said.