The Triple-A home run leader brings elite power and towering metrics to Chicago’s struggling lineup, aiming to ignite the offense despite persistent swing-and-miss concerns in his fourth promotion.
The Chicago Cubs have shaken up their roster yet again.
After calling up No. 2 prospect Pedro Ramirez ahead of Friday’s game against the Astros, the Cubs have promoted No. 5 prospect Kevin Alcantara before Saturday’s contest.
Alcantara takes infielder Nicky Lopez’s spot on the active roster. Lopez was designated for assignment to make way for the Cubs prospect, and the outfielder will now look to provide a spark to a struggling Chicago offense.
This will be the fourth time Alcantara has been up with the Cubs in his short career. He spent a week in the big leagues in 2024 and appeared in 10 games last year as a September call-up. The slugger is 5-for-21 with one RBI in 13 career contests.
The Cubs are obviously adjusting their roster a little bit amid a six-game losing streak. Given the way Alcantara has hit the ball down at Triple-A Iowa, this promotion comes as a very little surprise.
The 6-foot-6 outfielder slashed .242/.339/.567 with 15 home runs, six doubles, 32 RBI, and three stolen bases across 41 games before his promotion. His 15 home runs were tied with Jacob Gonzalez for the most among all Triple-A hitters, and his .567 OPS ranked 10th in the International League.
Alcantara will bring his power to this Cubs team. He hit a home run every 12 plate appearances at Triple-A this season and posted some impressive metrics in the process. The 23-year-old had a .496 expected slugging, a 91.5 mph average exit velocity, a 20.8% barrel rate, and a 45.8% hard-hit rate in those games.
Now, one thing to know about Alcantara is that he does strike out a ton. There are some concerns about his plate discipline, as he had a 37.3% whiff rate, a 33.3% strikeout rate, and a 60.3% zone-contact rate in 41 games in Iowa this year.
He also struggled a bit in those categories in his limited plate appearances with the Cubs last year. He had a 33.3% chase rate, a 42.9% whiff rate, and a 33.3% strikeout rate across 12 plate appearances.
However, Alcantara has shown enough at Triple-A to get another shot in the big leagues. He’ll bring his power to this Cubs offense and will look to make an impact in his fourth go-around in the big leagues.
Alcantara is not in Chicago’s lineup on Saturday against the Astros, but the Cubs’ No. 5 prospect will have a prime opportunity to showcase his offensive potential while he is up with the Major League club.
