Cubs' prospect Kevin Alcantara is crushing Triple-A pitching, showcasing elite power and exciting potential despite ongoing strikeout concerns.
Chicago Cubs' No. 3 prospect Kevin Alcantara has been tearing it up offensively to start the season.
Alcantara did not make the Cubs’ Opening Day roster out of Spring Training and began the 2026 season with the Triple-A Iowa Cubs. However, the 23-year-old looks to be Major League ready following a blistering start to the year.
Alcantara has displayed his power at the plate in the early going. He just launched his 11th home run of the year on Saturday against Triple-A St. Paul and has been on an unreal stretch at the plate since last week.
The 6-foot-6 outfielder is batting .325 with four home runs, 11 RBI, and five walks over his last 10 games. Alcantara has gone 5-for-8 with two home runs and five RBI in his past two games and has a current seven-game hitting streak with the Iowa Cubs.
Alcantara continues to showcase his potential down in the Minors. He is hitting .252 with 11 home runs, six doubles, and 24 RBI across 27 games this season and currently has a .973 OPS. Those 11 homers are tied for first among all Triple-A players.
His metrics also back up his strong early-season numbers. The Cubs’ No. 3 prospect ranks in the 93rd percentile in expected slugging (.514), 85th percentile in average exit velocity (91.6 mph), 99th percentile in barrel rate (24.1%), and 83rd percentile in hard-hit rate (48.3%).
The only concern with Alcantara's game right now is the swing-and-miss. This has been a problem for him since the Cubs acquired him in the Anthony Rizzo trade at the 2021 trade deadline.
Although Alcantara changed his swing a bit this offseason to improve consistency, this part of his game is still a work in progress.
The 23-year-old has a 36.3% strikeout rate, a 32.5% chase rate, and a 38.5% whiff rate to begin the season. His zone-swing rate (60.6%), zone-contact rate (76.7%), swinging strike rate (17.7%) and pull air rate (15.5%) all rank in the bottom half of the league among all Triple-A players as well.
The good news for Alcantara is that he should continue to get everyday at-bats at Triple-A for the majority of the season. The Cubs are in no rush to call him up, and there is simply nowhere for him to play in the big leagues.
That gives Alcantara a prime opportunity to improve in those specific areas.