With only a few more games left to play and the Chicago Cubs being eliminated from playoff contention, they announced they will be selecting the contract of top outfield prospect Kevin Alcantara. He will be batting ninth and playing right field for tonight’s game against the Phillies.
The 22-year-old outfielder was born in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic. He originally signed with the New York Yankees as an international free agent in July 2018, making his organizational debut in 2019 with the Rookie ball team. In 41 games in 2019, Alcántara hit .255, hitting one home run and driving in 19 RBIs. The 2020 minor league season was canceled due to the pandemic.
In 2021, Alcantara started the season back in Rookie-ball with the Yankees, but he was traded alongside pitcher Alexander Vizcaino to the Cubs for first baseman Anthony Rizzo. He would be assigned to the Cubs Rookie-affiliate, where he would hit .337 in 25 games, blasting four home runs and 21 RBIs.
He would play his first full season in 2022 with Low-A Myrtle Beach, where he played in 112 games, hitting 15 home runs, 85 RBIs,.273, and swiping 14 stolen bases. He missed some time due to injury during the 2023 season, playing most of the season in High-A and earning a promotion to Double-A. In 102 games, he would hit .284 with 13 home runs, 71 RBI, and 15 stolen bases.
As for 2024, his year began in Double-A. He performed strongly through 76 games, hitting .271, blasting nine homers and 39 RBIs; he earned a promotion to Triple-A. After 35 games, Alcantara dominated, hitting .292, crushing five home runs and 22 RBIs, with an on-base percentage of .378.
He is currently the 69th on the Top 100 prospects via MLB Pipeline. He is the sixth-ranked prospect in the Cubs organization. It will be fun to see Alcantara get his feet wet in a young Cubs outfield that features Pete Crow-Armstrong and Japanese slugger Seiya Suzuki.
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WBN MLB: https://worldbaseball.com/league/mlb/
Photo Credit: Kevin Alcantara of the Chicago Cubs looks on from center field during a training game as part of the 2024 Chicago Cubs Spring Training at Sloan Park on February 23, 2024 in Mesa, Arizona. (Photo by Matt Dirksen/Getty Images)
