'Hungry' Alcántara hoping to pounce on big league prey in '25

MESA, Ariz. -- The thing about jaguars is, you don’t want to see one when it’s hungry.

So when Cubs legend Sammy Sosa spoke to the organization’s No. 6 prospect per MLB Pipeline -- and the No. 89 prospect overall -- the former slugger gave him some apt advice.

“His advice for me for hitting,” said Kevin Alcántara, a man they call The Jaguar, “was to stay hungry.”

And stay hungry he did in Saturday night’s 8-3 victory for the Cubs’ top prospects over their counterparts from the Angels in a Spring Breakout showdown at Sloan Park.

Alcántara, wearing a glove in center field that sported a jaguar print to go along with a jaguar-print belt and jaguar-themed headband beneath his cap, demonstrated why the Cubs are envisioning big things ahead for him when he homered in the first inning and then singled in the sixth.

The home run was a two-run shot over the left-center field wall off the Angels’ top pitching prospect, Caden Dana. Alcántara, who stands 6-foot-6, has a naturally long swing that produces high exit velocities. But on this pitch -- a fastball off the plate inside -- he brought his hands in and muscled the ball over the fence.

Therein lies one of the reasons he’s called “The Jaguar” -- the power. Combine that with his speed on the basepaths and intuition in center field, and there you have it.

While Alcántara has yet to truly tap into his power at the plate -- he’s never produced more than 15 home runs in a single Minor League season -- the 22-year-old knows it’s in there, and that’s it’s only a matter of time before it starts appearing more frequently.

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“I know I have power,” Alcántara said. “It’s just that you have to control your moves in the box. Because I’m a tall guy. Sometimes it’s difficult for tall guys to hit the ball because sometimes the pitcher likes to throw the ball down. So you need to figure it out with that.

“But now I’m feeling I’m controlling my body. Sometimes you miss because it’s normal, but you want to [have] consistency every single day.”

If Alcántara begins to consistently do what he did on Saturday, there will be a lot of pitchers who experience the specter of a hungry jaguar ready to pounce from 60 feet, 6 inches away.

Alcántara said that the key to his homer was staying behind the ball, an element of the body control he mentioned. He said he’s in a good place at the plate, as evidenced by his .280 batting average and three doubles in Cactus League play.

“I continue working,” he said, “so I can have my chance to stay in the big leagues.”

Alcántara made his MLB debut for Chicago on Sept. 25 of last season, going 1-for-10 with a single. Now he’s striving for a callup from which he doesn't return.

To that end, another area in which he’s diligently working is defense in center field. Already a quality outfielder, thanks in part to his instincts when chasing his prey, Alcántara has tremendous potential defensively.

“I’m going to improve my first step,” he said. “I keep working because I know I can be an elite outfielder in the future.”

Beyond his hitting, running and defense, there’s the evident joy with which Alcántara plies his craft.

It’s not really even a craft, if you ask him.

“I enjoy the game with my guys,” he said. “The first thing is to stay happy every single game. Because it’s a game. It’s not a job. It’s a game.”

It’s a game, and games are supposed to be fun. Alcántara brings fun both with his play and with his style.

Once his drive left the ballpark on Saturday, Alcántara made his way around the bases and before reaching home plate, he flashed the “Jaguar claw.”

His nickname was born when Alcántara was with Single-A Myrtle Beach in 2022. At first, “The Panther” was on the table for consideration.

But that didn’t work.

“I was trying to find a nickname for me,” Alcántara said. “Sometimes you see a panther, but the Black Panther is the guy in the movie. I wanted an authentic nickname. I’m trying to make my mark.”

Alcántara certainly made his mark in Spring Breakout. And if his determination to turn his raw ability into stardom in the Majors is any indication, he could be making his mark for years to come.