Can Sandy Alcantra recapture his Cy Young dominance after injury and an even tougher season? His comeback is key to the Marlins' playoff hopes.
At his best, Sandy Alcantra isn’t just the Miami Marlins’ ace, but he’s one of the best pitchers in baseball.
In 2022, Alcantra was so dominant — 14 wins, nine losses and a 2.28 ERA — that he won the National League Cy Young Award and finished in the top 10 of the MVP voting.
He hasn’t been the same since.
In 2023, Alcantra’s era went up into the low 4s, and at the end of the season, he suffered an injury that required Tommy John surgery, leading to him being out for all of 2024.
The Marlins were excited to have Alcantra back for 2025, but still recovering from injury, he has the worst year of his career — 11 wins, 12 losses and a 5.36 ERA.
Now, entering his age 30 season, Alcantra still has plenty left the tank.
How much he has could go a long way in determining if the Marlins can be a playoff team in 2026.
Welcome to “Getting to Know the Fish,” a new series profiling each Miami player.
Age: 30
Years in MLB: 8 years
Height: 6-foot-5
Weight: 200 pounds
Last year: Alcantra just didn’t have it in 2025. Although he pitched better than his ERA would suggest— 4.28 FIP compared to a 5.36 ERA— he was still far from where he was at his Cy Young best.
In April, Alcantra told MLB.com that felt physically healthy, yet, couldn’t get the results he wanted.
“I feel good physically, but I feel terrible just being out there and having the same result and I can’t do nothing when my teammates need me the most,” Alcantara told reporters last April. “I know this is a process, but I’m tired. I’m tired of having the same success out there, and I don’t feel happy about it.”
Where He Stands: Barring a big free-agent signing, Alcantra will be Miami’s No. 1 starter come Opening Day. Of the other four projected starting pitchers for Miami as of now, only Edward Cabrera is arguably close to Alcantra’s talent level, and it’s unlikely Miami will sign somebody who has won a Cy Young Award.
Will Alcantra be as good at 30 as he was at 27? Frankly, the odds are against it. But as we’ve seen with guys like Chris Sale, who won a Cy Young at 35 just two seasons ago, it is possible.
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