JUPITER, Fla. – For veterans, Spring Training is less about results and more about testing out new things in preparation for Opening Day.
Marlins ace Sandy Alcantara received his reminder in his Grapefruit League debut on Sunday afternoon, when Brady House crushed his new sweeper for a three-run first-inning homer to right-center at Roger Dean Chevrolet Stadium.
“I threw it a lot today,” Alcantara told a group of reporters. “That was the pitch that they got a homer, and I get it. This is the time where you need to work on your pitches, and this is a new pitch for me. I think the confidence is not there yet, but I’ve got to keep throwing it.”
After introducing the sixth pitch in his arsenal during last week’s pitch design session, Alcantara got to test it out in game action for the first time.
With a pair of runners in scoring position and just one out, here is how Alcantara attacked House:
- 97.4 mph sinker (called strike)
- 83.1 mph sweeper (ball)
- 83.4 mph sweeper (foul)
- 97.3 mph four-seamer (foul)
- 97.2 mph sinker (ball)
- 89.8 mph changeup (foul)
- 83.8 mph sweeper (homer)
The sweeper, which was initially labeled a curveball, had a pitch height of 2.68 feet and a spin rate of 2,248 rpm. It was located on the outside corner about belt-high for the right-handed-hitting House for the right-handed-hitting House.
Pitching coach Daniel Moskos had told MLB.com earlier Sunday that the sweeper could be incorrectly recorded as a curveball if it didn’t do what it was supposed to do. That’s exactly what happened on that offering.
“Two strikes, I’m trying to throw my best sweeper ever, and I just leave it over the middle,” Alcantara said. “And when you miss, you pay.”
Outside of the pitch that House took deep, Alcantara was pleased with his changeup, sinker and four-seamer in the 28-pitch outing. Regardless of the result, the Marlins will be pleased that Alcantara threw the sweeper.
New assistant pitching coach Rob Marcello, who called pitches for national champion Triple-A Jacksonville last season, has been tasked with that responsibility in 2026. Alcantara threw between two and four sweepers on Sunday.
“I hope he throws a number of sweepers and just gets his full arsenal in there,” manager Clayton McCullough had said pregame. “He can certainly go out and go sinker/changeup. We know how important that is for him. But also, getting out there, and you try to utilize some pitches that are going to be big weapons for him this season.”
The 30-year-old will certainly throw more sweepers in his final Spring Training start before joining the Dominican Republic for the World Baseball Classic.
“Trust the pitch, and I think my trust is not there yet,” Alcantara said. “So just been working on the sweeper for three months, and I think it’s not [enough] time to be consistent in the strike zone. But I’ve got time to keep improving at camp and throw a couple more bullpens, and practicing, and everything will be good.”