The Outfielder Who Couldn't Throw

The Outfielder Who Couldn't Throw

The first game he played, after his parents sent him from Azua to live with his older sister Aridia in Santo Domingo, they put him in the outfield. A grounder reached him and he did not know how to throw, so he tossed the ball toward the catcher. He laughed about it later.

Sandy Alcantara crossed 1,000 career strikeouts on June 23, in his ninth major-league season. He has 1,041 now, and the number grew out of 1,219 innings — 191 starts across 199 appearances, eight of those nine seasons with the Marlins.

145 Pounds

He was a 145-pound teenager doubting he would reach the majors. He turned to faith and prayer, then overhauled his workouts and his diet — more plantains, mangú and rice, lifting consistently. He bulked up significantly and credited God for the transformation. The St. Louis Cardinals signed him as an international free agent in July 2013 for a $125,000 bonus.

In the minors with Springfield, he once missed the team bus to English class and took an Uber, drawing a warning from manager Johnny Rodriguez. When Rodriguez later called him into the office, Alcantara expected more trouble. Rodriguez told him he was going to the majors first, and to stop missing class second.

The Cardinals traded him to Miami in December 2017 in the Marcell Ozuna deal. The 2022 season brought the Cy Young Award and his second All-Star selection.

What Stays on the Glove

His mother Francisca Montero died in 2021. His brother Alexander — Lexi — died in a motorcycle accident after Sandy's debut. He honors both on his glove. He is one of 11 children from a large family in the Dominican Republic.

He is 30 years old, in his eighth season with the Marlins.

Reporting: La Vida Baseball, Miami Herald. Career and biographical data: MLB StatsAPI, via the Fever engine.