Signed by the Yankees for $1 million out of the Dominican Republic as one of the youngest and highest-upside players in the 2018 international class, Alcántara joined the Cubs as part of the Anthony Rizzo trade three years later. He has posted nearly identical batting lines in his three years in full-season ball, including slashing .278/.353/.428 with 14 homers and 14 steals in 111 games between Double-A and Triple-A last year at age 21. He made his big league debut in the final week of the season, going 1-for-10 in three starts.
At 6-foot-6, Alcántara has a naturally long right-handed swing, though it comes with plenty of bat speed and produces impressive exit velocities. He has at least 30-homer upside and can drive the ball out of any part of the ballpark, but he has yet to go deep more than 15 times in a season because he chases too many pitches out of the zone and struggles to do damage against non-fastballs. He's at his best when he focuses on making hard contact, but he'll lapse into trying to do too much and produces a lot of rolled-over ground balls.
Alcántara offers a combination of size and athleticism that few players can match. Though it takes him a while to get out of the batter's box, he's a plus runner once he gets going and can be at least a 20/20 player if he takes more chances on the bases. He continues to improve defensively, and he's a quality center fielder with good instincts and a strong arm.
One of the youngest and highest-ceilinged players in the 2018 international class, Alcántara had to wait until his 16th birthday on July 12 to sign with the Yankees for $1 million out of the Dominican Republic. After losing the 2020 season to the pandemic, he was still in Rookie ball when New York sent him and right-hander Alexander Vizcaino to the Cubs for Anthony Rizzo in July 2021. He finished third in batting (.286) and fourth in slugging (.466) in the High-A Midwest League last season at age 20 before posting a 1.171 OPS in the Double-A Southern League playoffs to help Tennessee win the championship.
Alcántara struggled when he got overly aggressive at the plate in the first two months last season, then batted .329/.404/.551 once he recalibrated his plate discipline. His 6-foot-6 frame results in a naturally long right-handed swing, and he's at his best when he keeps his stroke relatively compact and focuses on making hard contact rather than worrying about home runs. He has good feel for using the opposite field and could develop 30-homer power if he learns to pull and lift pitches more regularly.
Few players can match Alcántara's combination of size and athleticism, and he has the instincts to get the most out of his solid speed on the bases and in the outfield. He has spent most of his career in center field and is more than capable there, but he faces a move once he's playing alongside Pete Crow-Armstrong in Chicago. With his power potential and strong arm, he'll profile well in right field.
One of the youngest and toolsiest players in the 2018 international crop, Alcantara signed with the Yankees for $1 million out of the Dominican Republic once he turned 16 on July 12. One of several quality outfield prospects acquired by the Cubs via trades, he joined the organization along with right-hander Alexander Vizcaino in exchange for Anthony Rizzo in July 2021. He aced his full-season debut as a 19-year-old in 2022, batting .273/.360/.451 with 15 homers, leading the Carolina League with 85 RBIs and ranking among the Single-A circuit's leaders in most offensive categories.
Though his 6-foot-6 frame results in a naturally long right-handed swing, Alcantara keeps his stroke relatively compact and makes a lot of hard contact, smoking the ball harder than most players his age. As he continues to add strength and learns to pull and lift pitches more frequently, he could develop into a 30-homer threat. He'll probably always be a power-over-hit guy, but his willingness to take walks and use the opposite field bode well for his performance in the latter area.
Few players as tall as Alcantara move as well as he does. He has twitchy athleticism, solid speed and good instincts on the bases and in the outfield. A center fielder for most of his pro career, he played right field alongside Pete Crow-Armstrong when they were teammates in the first two months of last season and has the solid arm strength required for the position.
One of the younger and highest-ceilinged players in the 2018 international class, Alcantara signed with the Yankees for $1 million when he turned 16 on July 12. Because of his youth and the pandemic layoff, he accumulated just 280 at-bats in his first three years in pro ball and won't make his full-season debut until 2022. But his upside remains enormous and he batted .337/.415/.609 in the Rookie-level Arizona Complex League after the Cubs acquired him and right-hander Alexander Vizcaino in exchange for Anthony Rizzo last July.
It's so easy to dream on Alcantara, who's 6-foot-6, extremely athletic for his size and might have close to plus tools across the board once he's stronger and fully developed. With his bat speed, projectable strength and the leverage in his long frame, he creates well-above-average raw power and exit velocities. He's still unproven against advanced pitching and has a naturally long right-handed stroke, but he does have some feel for the barrel and should hit for average if he can refine his plate discipline.
Alcantara can flash plus speed but probably will lose at least a half-step as he fills out. He eats up plenty of ground in center field with long, fluid strides and his solid arm strength will play well in right field should he have to move. Not only is he physically gifted, but he's also an intelligent player with a strong work ethic.
Younger and possessing a higher ceiling than most of the prospects in the 2018 international class, Alcantara signed with the Yankees for $1 million when he turned 16 on July 12. At the start of the Rookie-level Gulf Coast League season in June 2019, the Dominican was the lone 16-year-old on a U.S.-based Minor League team. His only real development last year came at New York's Dominican instructional league program, and he had just begun playing again this July when the Yankees sent him and right-handed pitching prospect Alexander Vizcaino to the Cubs in exchange for Anthony Rizzo.
Built like a younger Dexter Fowler, Alcantara now approaches 200 pounds and could have plus tools across the board once he fills out and gains more experience. His bat speed, projectable strength and leverage give him well above-average power from the right side of the plate and produce some of the highest exit velocities in the system. He made a reasonable amount of contact in his 2019 pro debut but will need to improve his discipline when he faces more advanced pitchers.
A plus runner, Alcantara covers plenty of ground in center field with long, fluid strides. If he slows down as he adds strength and needs to move to a corner, his solid arm strength would fit nicely in right field. Besides his tools, his baseball IQ and work ethic also earn praise.
One of the youngest and higher-ceiling prospects on the 2018 international market, Alcantara signed for $1 million when he turned 16 on July 12. When he arrived in the Rookie-level Gulf Coast League last June, he became the only 16-year-old on a U.S.-based Minor League team. He'll need a lot of development time, but it's so easy to dream on his upside.
Built like a young Dexter Fowler, Alcantara could have plus tools across the board once he gets a lot stronger and adds some much-needed polish. A right-handed hitter, his combination of bat speed, physical projection and leverage gives him well above-average raw power and already produces some of the biggest exit velocities in the system. For such a young player, he shows advanced feel for putting the bat on the ball, though he'll need to tighten his strike zone.
Alcantara has plus speed and gobbles up ground in center field with long, fluid strides. It's possible that he could slow down some once he's physically mature, prompting a move to a corner, but his solid arm strength would play well in right field if that happens. In addition to his physical gifts, he also impresses with his baseball IQ and his work ethic.
These run values are leveraged, meaning the base/out situation at the time of the event does impact the run value (thus introducing context outside the batter's own contribution).
! Note: Shifts are through the 2022 season, Shaded starting from the 2023 season, Shift: three or more infielders are on the same side of second base, Shade: positioned outside of their typical responsible slices of the field. Learn more about how positioning is defined here
