The Cubs may have another young superstar on their hands. Outfield prospect Kevin Alcántara is making a name for himself in spring training. After a promising 2024 campaign in both Double-A and Triple-A, MLB’s 90th-ranked prospect is making a strong case that he should break camp on the big league roster. But who is he? And why does he deserve a spot in a crowded Chicago outfield?
Remember Anthony Rizzo?
On July 29th, 2021, the Chicago Cubs dealt star first baseman and franchise icon Anthony Rizzo to the New York Yankees for a pair of prospects. Those prospects were pitcher Alexander Vizciano and outfielder Kevin Alcántara. Perhaps Cubs president Jed Hoyer knew what he was doing when he acquired the then 19-year-old Alcántara. While he didn’t join the Cub’s organization as a highly touted prospect, the 6 foot 6 speedy right fielder soon made a name for himself in the Cubs minor league system.
His ascension up the prospect ladder climaxed last season as he finally broke out. He posted a .848 OPS for the Triple-A Iowa Cubs after being promoted on August 6th. While his hit tool is surely impressive, it’s hardly his only claim to fame. For starters, his frame (6’6 and 190 lbs) set him apart from most outfielders. But combine that with his 60-grade running and fielding ability, and you have the ingredients for a unique superstar.
While El Jaguar oozes with ability (and swagger) he may need to make some improvements before he truly reaches his ceiling. For starters, he needs to cut down on the strikeouts. His current ratio of 2.5K’s per BB is not great, and his measly walk rate doesn’t allow him many freebies.
Like many young players, his game requires maturation before it is Major League-ready. Lucky for him, he likely won’t have the pressure of contributing to the Major League team just yet.
An All-Star Outfield
The Cubs currently post one of the most impressive outfields in Major League Baseball. Despite trading away Center Fielder Cody Bellinger, also to the Yankees, the Cubs can rely on their homegrown talent of Ian Happ and Pete Crow Armstrong to lock down the center field and left field spots respectfully this summer.
Additionally, the Cubs made a big splash this offseason by acquiring superstar Right fielder Kyle Tucker from the Houston Astros. They managed to do so while giving up only one of their eight top-100 prospects.
This demotes Star Seiya Suzuki who quietly had an excellent ‘24 season where he mashed 21 homers, OPS’d .848, and gave the Cubs 3.5 WAR. Seiya will be bumped from his starting Right Field spot in favor of Kyle Tucker and will be handling the DH’ing duties for the foreseeable future.
This in addition to veteran additions such as Travis Jankowski and other prospects such as Owen Cassie crowd the outfield depth chart for the Cubbies. The situation for El Jaguar is multi-faceted.
Does he make the opening roster just to sit on the bench behind more proven players or is it more beneficial for his development to see regular playing time in Triple-A?
My thoughts on this matter are fairly simplistic. Let him play in Triple-A. Getting regular playing time will help him overcome the deficiencies in his game and make him a more well-rounded player.
Despite his hot start, he only appeared in thirty-five Triple-A games last season before experiencing a brief cup of coffee in the majors.
Let him bake in the oven a little longer, because the Cubs may need him in the latter part of the season if the injury bug bites them as badly as it has the last few years.
And they may need him way more in the ‘26 season. Especially if they aren’t able to extend Kyle Tucker. So I would advise keeping the Jaguar in the cage; for now.
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