Kevin Alcantara battles for a crucial roster spot, aiming to overcome swing inconsistencies and capitalize on a promising Minor League season.
An outfield battle is currently underway in Spring Training.
After losing Kyle Tucker and trading away Owen Caissie this offseason, the Chicago Cubs are in search of a fourth outfielder for their roster in 2026. Four different outfielders are fighting for that final roster spot.
Chas McCormick is just a few years removed from a 3.4 WAR season. Dylan Carlson was once a top prospect in baseball. Justin Dean was claimed off waivers last month, and Kevin Alcantara has shown his potential throughout his Minor League career.
This ongoing outfield battle will not be decided until the end of Spring Training next month. But Alcantara will have every opportunity to earn that final outfield spot.
The 23-year-old is coming off a solid all-around Minor League campaign in 2025. He slashed .266/.349/.470 with 17 home runs, 26 doubles, 69 RBI, and 10 stolen bases across 102 games with the Triple-A Iowa Cubs.
He also got some more Major League experience last year. He went 4-for-11 (.364 average) at the plate with one RBI after being called up in September and made the Cubs’ postseason roster in both the Wild Card Round and Divisional Round.
Cubs manager Craig Counsell only had positive things to say about Alcantara when reporters asked him about the outfielder’s 2025 season.
“Kevin did a heck of a job,” Counsell said in Arizona. “There was not a lot of playing time. It was super sporadic. I thought his preparation was great. In the clubhouse, he was great. When he got chances, he executed what we wanted him to do. And I thought that was really important. He was on a playoff roster. I think that tells you how the month went.”
The biggest knock on Alcantara’s game is his inconsistency at the plate. He had a high strikeout rate in Triple-A last season (29.8%), and there are some concerns about his extremely high whiff rate. His whiff rate was well over 30% at Triple-A in 2025.
However, the young outfielder has focused on fixing his swing this offseason. He believes that adjusting his swing a bit will help him be more consistent offensively. That could help lower both his strikeout rate and whiff rate in 2026 and beyond.
Being a 6-foot-6 hitter is not easy. Due to Alcantara’s size at the plate, he has a very long swing. That is at the forefront of why his whiff rate has hovered around 30% in each of his last two Minor League seasons.
Alcantara is hoping that will change with his recent swing adjustment. This adjustment could also help him win that final outfield spot out of Spring Training.