Starter Spotlight: Starting Off Walking Sandy Beaches

3–27-2025 – By Michael Castrignano – @412DoublePlay on X

It’s officially baseball season (I mean, if you don’t count that silly Dodgers/Cubs thing last week) and we are BACK underway evaluating and discussing opposing starting pitchers.

Today, the Pirates head to South Beach and will open the season with Cy Young finalist, Paul Skenes, facing off against former Cy Young winner in Sandy Alcantara

Alcantara took home the award in 2022 after posting a 14-9 mark, 2.28 ERA and 207 strikeouts over 228.2 innings, leading MLB in innings, complete games (6), shutouts (1) and pitcher bWAR (8.0).

Since that breakout, Alcantara has suffered the same fate befalling many a Marlins pitcher: Tommy John Surgery.

Following a 2023 season of regression and underwhelming results – 4.14 ERA and 151 strikeouts over 184.2 innings – he was placed on the IL with a “right forearm flexor strain” which was later revealed to be in his UCL, requiring surgery and missing the entire 2024 season.

The 29-year old ace of the Miami staff has looked like his 2022 self this spring, posting a sparkling 0.00 over 12.1 innings of work with all five of his pitches ranking average or above in Stuff+.

Alcantara has a deep arsenal as he throws upper-90s on his fastballs, working a 4-seam/sinker mix that he pairs with a low-90s changeup and dropping to high-80s on his curve and slider.

Historically, he’s worked in the zone on his “soft” stuff and gone upstairs with the high heat.

Given that it’s first outing of the season and he hasn’t pitched in a regular MLB game in nearly 19 months, he’ll be eager to prove he has returned to form. 

Bucs batters will need to stay ready for the high heat and try to elevate the ball. Alcantara gets a ton of strikeouts and a ton of groundballs (career 50.4%) so Pirates will certainly have a challenge today getting the ball out of the infield.

Stay on heat up/soft stuff down, work counts and try to break in against Sandy to get to the Marlins bullpen.