You have had time to method the news. You have vented on Twitter. You yelled at the photo of Jed Hoyer hanging in your residing space. But now it is time to just take a seem at the two newest users of the Cubs corporation who came back as a part of the Anthony Rizzo trade on Thursday.
I’ll preface by saying that it will be an uphill fight by default many thanks to the pressure becoming placed on these guys due to the fact of a situation wholly out of their handle. To be the return for the Cubs captain and virtually each fan’s favourite participant isn’t uncomplicated.
With that being mentioned, there is a lot of promise in the potential for both of those Alexander Vizcaino and Kevin Alcantara. Let us dig in…
Alexander Vizcaino
The 6-foot-2 correct-handed pitcher is about as substantial-upside as you can get from a 24-yr-aged in Substantial-A. Immediately after signing as an (aged?) international no cost agent at 19, Vizcaino actually broke out in 2019 with a fastball that went from earlier sitting down in just the reduced-90s all the way up to touching triple-digits.
In spite of not throwing higher than A-ball in his occupation, the Yankees invited him to the alternate web site to create and operate on his supply. By now equipped with that warmth and an elite-stage changeup with a good deal of arm-side operate, the corporation wished him to operate on his slider and employed a adjust in his decrease 50 % to change the pitch from a slurvey offering to one particular with sharper chunk to it.
So why is he 24 and only in Substantial-A? Initially, you have to remember that seemingly every prospect will be a yr older than you imagine they ought to be for their stage thanks to the lost slight league year past yr. But accidents to commence off the 2021 campaign set him back a little bit and have constrained him to just six innings this calendar year. Equivalent to how Brennen Davis utilised South Bend as a rehab assignment that was not formally labeled as this kind of, Vizcaino was throwing out of the bullpen at that same amount as a substitute of doing work in the rotation at Double-A.
With Vizcaino, you are on the lookout at a pitcher that has the possible to be a center of the rotation starter if all the things goes right. If his new shipping has improved his slider to the position in which it can be a second put-away pitch, that provides him a few respectable choices and a good starter’s repertoire. In a situation wherever the slider does not stick, you have a two-pitch reliever, albeit an unorthodox a person with a changeup as the secondary presenting.
But the changeup is no joke. A 70-quality secondary is tremendous, no make any difference what it is.
He is now on the 40-male roster and that could eventually give him a keep track of to the large leagues equivalent to that of Justin Steele, who was performing as a starter right until a necessary conversion to the significant league bullpen. As for this yr, I assume we see Vizcaino accommodate up for South Bend in the bullpen as he would make his way back from personal injury. He could be up to Double-A by year’s close and be on monitor for a 2023 trip to Chicago.
Kevin Alcantara
The lone teen acquired at the deadline so significantly (amusing, mainly because I was told Jed Hoyer only targets teenagers), Alcantara has the finest likely of any one acquired by the entrance business so significantly. He is just 19 a long time aged and has performed his baseball in the sophisticated league this calendar year, where by he has completely torn it up to the tune of a .360/.448/.520 slash line. Alcantara is to the Yankees as Owen Caissie has been to the Cubs.
The suitable-handed-hitting centerfielder signed as the 15th ranked worldwide totally free agent back in 2018 and built his stateside debut as a 16-12 months-old. He has opportunity for 5 very good tools throughout the board and reveals off terrific athleticism even with his substantial 6-foot-6 frame. I would evaluate this acquisition to the Reggie Preciado just one from the Padres.
Alcantara is uncooked, lanky, hits the ball hard, and has projectability as a result of the roof. A reward? He reportedly has a actually excellent function ethic and baseball IQ.
We can anticipate Alcantara to be a part of the group of younger, superior-upside prospects present in Mesa and Small-A Myrtle Seaside. It may be an original assignment to Arizona before signing up for the Pelicans roster prior to the close of the yr. Really do not anticipate Alcantara in Chicago until 2024 or 2025 but I will let you to get tremendous psyched about this child in the meantime.
