Sandy Alcantara arrived in Miami following a 2017 trade with the Cardinals, a high-upside right-hander who had only eight major league games to his name. While he spent much of his early career proving that a pitcher’s win-loss record is an unreliable narrator, he eventually established himself as the most durable and dominant force in the National League, at least for one season anyway.
After becoming a permanent starter in 2019, he demonstrated a high-frequency ability to pitch deep into games, yet famously led the National League with 14 losses despite showing the organization he was their best arm. He remained a professional mainstay through the shortened 2020 campaign and the 2021 season, in which his 3.19 ERA was again undermined by a poor record. This, however, was about to change.
In 2022, the Dominican hurler mastered the strike zone to become the first Marlin to win the National League Cy Young Award. He led the majors in innings pitched (228.2) and complete games (6), recording a stellar 2.28 ERA and a sub-1.00 WHIP. It looked to be only up from there, but a traumatic injury threatened to derail his prime. After a 2023 season where he struggled with localized command issues and ultimately underwent Tommy John surgery, he missed the entirety of the 2024 campaign. However, he showed the organization his grit by returning for the 2025 season and immediately reassuming his role as a professional mainstay. While his first year back from surgery featured the expected up-and-down results as he regained his feel, he still logged over 170 innings and recorded 11 wins, proving that his durable frame could still handle a significant workload.
Entering 2026, Alcantara is healthy and is arguably at a crossroads in his career.
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