JUPITER, Fla. -- "DR 1-0!"
Marlins pitching coach Daniel Moskos chose violence when Javier Sanoja (Venezuela) whiffed on a pitch from ace Sandy Alcantara (Dominican Republic) during Thursday morning's pitch design session at the Marlins Jupiter Academy.
Alcantara, whose arsenal already included a sinker, changeup, four-seamer, slider and cutter, debuted his sweeper by throwing it around nine times during his first bullpen of camp. Immediate feedback could be seen when Sanoja was unable to make contact on the new offering.
"I think it's a pitch that came from a long way," Alcantara said. "Early when I started, [I] was having trouble with it. But today was good. So [I'll] focus on location with it. Hopefully during the season, we can do some damage with."
Why did Alcantara decide to add a sweeper this offseason?
For one, Alcantara recognized that other pitchers around the league were throwing it, so why not him? The sweeper also showcases the same break but takes off speed from his slider. Alcantara's pitches didn't vary much in average velocity in 2025: four-seamer (97.7 mph), sinker (97.1 mph), changeup (90.4 mph), slider (89.4 mph) and cutter (85.3 mph).
"Because I throw hard, and everything I throw is hard," Alcantara said. "So me and Mos had a conversation last year about we need a pitch that breaks more, and more slow, and finally we get it. So hopefully we do a great job throwing in the season."
The 30-year-old Alcantara had used a couple offseason bullpens leading up to Thursday to tinker with the grip of the pitch. It took him a while to find the right one; things finally clicked when Alcantara followed the mindset of throwing it like a curveball.
"I can see that he's been working on it," Sanoja said via interpreter Luis Dorante Jr. "I don't want to give you too many details. We don't want the hitters to get prepared for this pitch. It's just Sandy trying to be Sandy again."