It’s not a question of whether Sandy Alcantara will win the Cy Young Award, just one of the metrics he’s become the first unanimous winner at the National League since then. Clayton Kershaw in 2014.
Indeed, the Miami Marlins‘ The 27-year-old right-hander swept all 30 votes in first place to beat brave left-handed maximum frying and Dodgers South Julio Urias to become the first Cy Young winner in Marlins history.
With Houston Astros ace Justin Verlander also won AL Cy Young by unanimous vote, this is only the second time both Cy Young winners have been unanimous. Bob Gibson and Denny McLain also agreed to win in 1968, a year after awards began to be awarded to both tournaments.
In this era of five innings, Alcantara stood out like a unicorn: He threw 228⅔ innings, 23⅔ more than other pitchers in majors and the most innings since. David price threw 230 in 2016. He threw six complete matches — more than any other game team. He has thrown at least eight innings in 14 of his 32 starts, the most such games since 2014. His 8.0 WAR easily surpassed Aaron Nola’s 6.0 as a. was the best match in the NL and ranked as the best match in Marlins history, ahead of Kevin Brown’s 7.9 in 1996.
“It made me feel special because I came here with the Marlins with a positive mentality – just trying to win,” Alcantara said after winning the award. “Try to compete, try to be better. This year I put everything in the same place, working hard. I have had great success. And now, winning the National League Cy Young, I feel so happy and lucky.”
He is along with Pedro Martinez (1997) the only player born in the Dominican Republic to win the NL award. Martinez was also a two-time AL champion (1999, 2000) and another Dominican AL champion was Bartolo Colon in 2005.
“Work hard, be positive, every day, fight for my team, compete against any team. That makes it special,” he said. “My mentality has always been to be aggressive. Try to be better every day. And I will continue to do so. And see if I can win Cy Young next year.’ ‘
Here’s another way to see Alcantara’s prize pool: He’s got 16 starts over seven innings when you add up his two 7⅔ innings. Fried and Urias combined for only two rounds over seven innings. However, it wasn’t just his ability to dive into matches that made Alcantara a winner for Cy Young. His 2.28 ERA ranks second in the NL behind Urias’ 2.16, and he’s kept the hitters at the 0.212 average with some of the most power in the majors.
“He’s throwing over 100 mph and he’s got movement on that fast ball,” Cardinals first pitcher Paul Goldschmidt speak.
Indeed, Alcantara has averaged just under 98 mph with his fast ball (he throws both a four-seam ball and a submersible), but his game plan is slightly different from many. Modern pitcher. He makes a lot of gentle contact instead of just hitting the shots — and thus avoids the high count due to the many deep counts. As a result, he led all the starters with an average of just 14.2 pitches per inning, allowing him to go deep into the games. He still made 207 goals, including 14, a season-high in an eight-round win over the Braves on May 28. “Sometimes with Sandy, it’s like throwing the ball and catching the ball, ” Marlins then-coach Don Mattingly said after that overwhelming win.
Originally signed by Cardinals from the Dominican Republic, the Marlins acquired Alcantara after the 2017 season in a valuable deal. Marcell Ozuna to St. Louis. Alcantara became an All-Star team in 2019, his first full season in the pro leagues, when he finished with a 3.88 ERA, and then had a big break in 2019. 2021, when he wins 9-15 with a 3.19 ERA in 205 plays.
An improved change has taken him to new heights this season, as batters hit just 0.145 over it without a home run in 248 batting. That’s a power shift that averages 91.8 mph — yes, a 92 mph change. According to Statcast figures, his change saved 25 runs, the most valuable change in the game in 2022.
Perhaps the highlight of Alcantara’s season was not one of his seven goalless starts, but a 4-3 win over the Cardinals on June 29. A 4-3 lead with a runner-up. and one in ninth and Alcantara at 115 pitches, Mattingly appeared to knock him out of the game. Alcantara convinced himself to stay and two subsequent pitches led to a doubles hit to end the game.
“When he came to see me, I said, ‘I get it. I get it.’ I think he trusted me too much to finish the game,” Alcantara said after that win. “I don’t have to worry when I have the men at the base. I know I can attack and double.”
“He said he had it, and he did,” Mattingly said. “I wouldn’t promise him two giants, but I gave him one. He’s pretty special.”
Special enough that the extension the Marlins signed him with last November running through 2027 now looks like a bargain. With the Marlins now having a Cy Young winner, the only franchise without one is Texas Ranger and Colorado Rocks.
The Associated Press contributed to this report
