JUPITER, Fla. - Spring Training is a time for experimentation, especially for seasoned players like Marlins ace Sandy Alcantara. It’s not about the scoreboard but about refining skills and testing new strategies before the real action begins.
In his Grapefruit League debut on Sunday, Alcantara faced a learning moment when Brady House sent his new pitch, the sweeper, soaring for a three-run homer in the first inning at Roger Dean Chevrolet Stadium.
“I threw it a lot today,” Alcantara shared with reporters. “That was the pitch that they got a homer on, and I get it.
This is the time to work on your pitches, and this is a new pitch for me. The confidence isn’t there yet, but I’ve got to keep throwing it.”
The sweeper, initially mistaken for a curveball, featured a pitch height of 2.68 feet and a spin rate of 2,248 rpm. It landed on the outside corner, belt-high, right in House’s sweet spot.
Pitching coach Daniel Moskos had noted earlier that the sweeper might be misclassified if it didn’t perform as expected. And indeed, it drifted over the middle.
“Two strikes, I’m trying to throw my best sweeper ever, and I just leave it over the middle,” Alcantara admitted. “And when you miss, you pay.”
Despite that hiccup, Alcantara found positives in his changeup, sinker, and four-seamer during his 28-pitch stint. The Marlins are keen on seeing him develop the sweeper further.
New assistant pitching coach Rob Marcello, who previously called pitches for Triple-A Jacksonville, is guiding Alcantara this season. Alcantara threw between two and four sweepers on Sunday.
“I hope he throws a number of sweepers and just gets his full arsenal in there,” manager Clayton McCullough said before the game. “He can certainly go out and go sinker/changeup.
We know how important that is for him. But also, getting out there, and you try to utilize some pitches that are going to be big weapons for him this season.”
At 30, Alcantara is set to throw more sweepers in his final Spring Training outing before joining the Dominican Republic for the World Baseball Classic.
“Trust the pitch, and I think my trust is not there yet,” Alcantara reflected. “I’ve been working on the sweeper for three months, and I think it’s not enough time to be consistent in the strike zone. But I’ve got time to keep improving at camp, throw a couple more bullpens, and everything will be good.”