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MIAMI — Little by little, Sandy Alcántara is starting to resemble the dominant pitcher who won the National League Cy Young Award in 2022. Although he is not yet at his best, the Marlins ace is showing clear signs of recovery, driven by a renewed dose of confidence and control over his repertoire.
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In Sunday's 5-3 victory over the Atlanta Braves at loanDepot park, Alcántara pitched another quality start, guiding the Marlins to win their first series against the Braves since September 2023. With this performance, the Dominican right-hander adds his third quality start in the month of June. "**A lot of confidence**", Alcántara summarized after the game. "I try to be more aggressive in the zone. My two-seam fastball was great today. I threw it where I wanted and with great execution." In his last four starts, Alcántara has recorded an ERA of 2.74, with 19 strikeouts and just 8 walks in 23 innings pitched. This is a radical change for the pitcher born in Azua, Dominican Republic, who began the season with a high ERA of 8.47 in his first 11 starts, the worst mark among all starters with at least 50 innings. Pitching coach Daniel Moskos assesses him optimistically: “I'd give him a 7 or 8 on a scale of ‘being back’. His execution has improved noticeably. He is placing his best pitches in the most effective zones and keeping his entire arsenal under control”. Alcántara's consistency has been key to the Marlins remaining competitive in the difficult National League East division. His most recent victory marked the 45th of his career in Major League Baseball, a symbolic milestone that comes at a time when his form is beginning to align with the expectations of an elite pitcher. With the season still in progress, the Marlins are confident that their ace will continue to raise his level. If he succeeds, the team could dream again of the postseason, as happened in 2023. Source: MLB.
