Kevin Alcántara is currently one of the Cub’s premiere prospects. Coming over to the Cubs in the Anthony Rizzo trade, Alcántara has impressed in his three seasons in the Cubs farm system.
Leaving his mark
His nickname, El Jaguar, originates from his unique blend of size and speed. Standing 6’6 and 190 pounds, Alcántara is an intimidating presence at the plate and around the bases. The nickname was first workshopped as “The Panther” before Alcántara shot it down. He said “The Black Panther is the guy in the movie. I wanted an authentic nickname. I’m trying to make my mark.” How fitting given that he is now leaving his mark on the Cubs.
After a cup of coffee with the big league squad last September, Alcántara is headed back to Triple-A to begin this season. In his brief stint with the Cubs, he went just 1-10 with a single. He faced the typical growing pains of a young player facing major league pitching for the first time. He was also seven years younger than the average major leaguer, and his youth showed.
Ranked as the #46 prospect in baseball by Fangraphs, Alcántara has been clawing for a roster spot on the Cubs. Some speculated he would be included on the Cub’s bloated Tokyo roster of 31 players. But sadly for him, he wouldn’t make the trip to Japan. Instead, he would be forced to stay home, where he dominated the Angels in the spring breakout game
An eye-opening Breakout game
On Saturday Alcántara put on a show against the Angels. He started his night by hitting a majestic 2-run home run to left center. Alcántara regained his power stroke last season after losing it a bit in ‘23. While he’s never been a huge home-run hitter, adding some more pop could take his game to the next level.
Perhaps the highlight of his night was not on the field, but rather on the mic. During the game the Marquee Sports network got to interview him after he had been subbed out of the game.
In his interview he not only talked about his custom-made jaguar-themed glove and bat, but also how his body control is helping him at the plate. He said “It’s just that you have to control your moves in the box. Because I’m a tall guy, sometimes it’s difficult for tall guys to hit the ball because sometimes the pitcher likes to throw the ball down. So you need to figure it out with that. But now I’m feeling I’m controlling my body. Sometimes you miss because it’s normal, but you want to [have] consistency every single day.”Controlling his 6’6 body at the plate may be the key to his success.
Like many young players, his maturation at the plate will determine his long-term success. If Alcántara can fully tap into his potential, both at the plate and in the field, the Cubs will have a real weapon on their hands. But for now, El Jaguar will have to grow down in the minor leagues. But don’t be surprised if one injury to the Cubs outfield lands Alcántara in Chicago.
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