Kevin Alcantara called up to make MLB debut with Cubs

The Cubs recalled prime outfield prospect Kevin Alcantara to the lively roster this afternoon and optioned infielder Miles Mastrobuoni to the minor leagues in a corresponding transfer. Alcantara’s first look in a recreation can be his huge league debut.

The 22-year-old was first acquired by the Cubs on the commerce deadline in 2021 because the headliner going again to Chicago within the deal that despatched longtime first baseman Anthony Rizzo to the Yankees alongside right-hander Alexander Vizcaino. Since then, Vizcaino was launched by the Cubs after simply six video games within the group and is now out of affiliated ball. Fortunately, Alcantara has blossomed with the Cubs into a formidable participant on either side of the ball and even grow to be a consensus top-100 prospect within the sport: the hulking, 6’6” outfielder ranks sixtieth at ESPN, 69th at MLB.com, and 77th at Baseball America as of every service’s most up-to-date replace.

The outfielder has by no means posted a wRC+ under 123 at any stage of the minor leagues since donning a Cubs uniform for the primary time, and although he’s not but hit greater than 15 homers or stolen 15 bases in a full season of minor league motion to this level in his profession scouts have routinely lauded his plus energy and pace potential. In 111 video games on the Double- and Triple-A ranges this yr, Alcantara has slashed a strong .278/.353/.428 with 14 homers and 14 steals, together with a scorching streak in 35 video games at Triple-A that’s seen him hit .292/.378/.469 in his first 148 journeys to the plate on the highest stage of the minors.

One potential pink flag in his profile is his tendency in the direction of swing-and-miss: he’s struck out in 25.1% of his plate appearances on the Double-A stage all through his profession, and to this point in Triple-A that quantity has jumped up to 29.1%. It’s a flaw Alcantara will certainly want to work on so as to attain his potential as an above-average common within the majors, although his instruments nonetheless depart loads of room for optimism about his ceiling. He’s paired that thrilling offensive potential with a powerful glove that receives optimistic marks in middle area, although scouts have lengthy famous that his sturdy arm is greater than sufficient for proper area as effectively ought to he finally transfer to a nook.

With defensive standout Pete Crow-Armstrong having taken over middle on a full-time foundation in Chicago, it appears doubtless that proper area could be Alcantara’s long-term defensive residence within the majors within the occasion that he manages to work his approach into an everyday function with the membership within the coming years. That could also be simpler stated than accomplished, nonetheless. After all, the membership’s outfield combine is presently loaded with expertise on the huge league stage with Crow-Armstrong set to patrol middle at Wrigley for the subsequent half decade and each Ian Happ and Seiya Suzuki locked into the outfield corners by way of no less than the 2026 season. Cody Bellinger has been the membership’s common proper fielder since Crow-Armstrong’s arrival, pushing Suzuki to DH and doubtlessly opening a path for Alcantara to work his approach into the outfield combine ought to Bellinger choose out of his contract and return to free company this winter.

Bellinger opting out of his deal in Chicago is hardly a assure, nonetheless, and Michael Busch has seemingly locked down his different place of first base for the foreseeable future. Fellow prime outfield prospect Owen Caissie can be on the Triple-A stage and will debut as quickly as subsequent season, additional including to the logjam of outfield choices in Chicago. It wouldn’t be a shock to see the Cubs look to leverage their outfield depth in an offseason commerce this winter to deal with different areas of the roster given the relative lack of alternative out there to Alcantara (and, for that matter, Caissie) on the huge league stage, significantly if Bellinger decides to choose in. Both Happ and Suzuki have no-trade clauses, nonetheless, considerably limiting the membership’s choices to discover trades in that regard.