Mattingly not ready to name Marlins’ Opening Day starter, but Alcantara looks like the guy
Don Mattingly has a pretty good idea of who his Opening Day starting pitcher will be on April 1 when the Miami Marlins host the Tampa Bay Rays.
Marlins fans have a pretty good feeling who it’s going to be, too.
But Mattingly said Wednesday he isn’t ready to make that decision public just yet.
“I’m not,” Mattingly said, “only because we haven’t talked to anybody yet and really have just been kind of going through this process. We’ve got guys lined up, and we think we know, but you guys have known that I usually don’t let you know before we talk to that person, and then we have to make sure the whole group upstairs is onboard with what we’re thinking and then we go from there.”
While nothing is official, signs point to Sandy Alcantara holding down the top spot in the rotation for a second consecutive season.
Alcantara has given up just two unearned runs over 12 2/3 innings spanning four spring training starts. He has struck out 19 hitters while walking just eight and scattering seven hits.
He had his best start of spring training on Wednesday against the New York Mets at Jupiter’s Roger Dean Chevrolet Stadium, throwing five scoreless innings with nine strikeouts and no walks while allowing just three hits against a lineup featuring primarily Mets regulars. Alcantara threw 64 pitches, 45 of which were strikes.
“He got aggressive in the strike zone,” Mattingly said. “A lot of good things to see.”
Alcantara used his changeup — which sat around 91-92 mph — to record six of the nine strikeouts on Wednesday.
“I think that’s one of the best pitches I have,” Alcantara said. “I was seeing the results today and I was throwing it for strikes.”
Does Alcantara feel he’s ready for the start of the season?
“100 percent,” the pitcher said. “I’m just waiting for my opportunity. I feel great. I feel healthy.”
Assuming he follows a starting pitcher’s usual five-day program, Alcantara is in line to start on April 1 although the decision isn’t final. Mattingly said Alcantara will get one more full start either in a Grapefruit League game or on the back fields and then a shorter outing — about three innings or so — to end spring training.
Outside of Gio Gonzalez, who signed a minor-league deal with the club on March 3, Alcantara is the most seasoned starting pitcher Miami has at its disposal.
The 25-year-old righty from the Dominican Republic with a five-pitch mix highlighted by a sinker and four-seam fastball that both touch the upper 90s, has made 45 career starts since joining the Marlins before the 2018 season as part of the Marcell Ozuna trade with the St. Louis Cardinals.
Alcantara has a 3.69 ERA over 273 1/3 innings in that span to go along with 220 strikeouts against 119 walks.
He threw a pair of complete games during his All-Star 2019 season and posted a 2.73 ERA in the final 10 games that year. Alcantara made all 32 scheduled starts that year, tossing 197 1/3 innings.
He came up in pivotal moments last season after returning from a bout with COVID-19, including throwing 7 1/3 innings in the Marlins’ win over the Yankees on Sept. 25 to secure their first playoff berth since 2003 and 6 2/3 innings of one-run ball in their first playoff game against the Chicago Cubs.
Should the rest of the rotation order remain the same as it has been during spring training, Pablo Lopez would follow in the rotation order, with Elieser Hernandez third, one of Sixto Sanchez or Nick Neidert fourth, and then Trevor Rogers wrapping up the group in the No. 5 spot.
Meanwhile, Rays manager Kevin Cash on Wednesday named Tyler Glasnow as Tampa Bay’s starting pitcher for the season opener.
“We’re excited,” Cash told reporters. “I know it’s a big deal to pitchers. The way Tyler has thrown the ball the last couple seasons, he deserves the opportunity.”
▪ The Marlins scored all of their runs in their 3-2 win over the Mets on Wednesday via the long ball. Jazz Chisholm, competing with Isan Diaz to be the team’s starting second baseman, hit a solo home run in the fifth inning down the right-field line. Infielder prospect Joe Dunand, the nephew of Alex Rodriguez, hit a walk-off two-run home run in the ninth to seal the win.
Marlins gameday giveaways
The Marlins on Wednesday announced their gameday giveaways for select home games over the first three months of the regular season. The list includes:
▪ April 1 vs. Rays (Opening Day): 2021 Magnet Schedule
▪ April 3 vs. Rays Kids Pullover Jacket
▪ April 18 vs. San Francisco Giants: Kids Jersey
▪ May 9 vs. Milwaukee Brewers: MLB Network Woven Tote Bag
▪ May 22 vs. New York Mets: Jorge Alfaro Bobblehead
▪ June 12 vs. Atlanta Braves: Kevin Millar Bobblehead
▪ June 13 vs. Braves: Tropical Shirts
▪ June 26 vs. Washington Nationals: Sandy Alcantara Bobblehead
This story was originally published March 17, 2021 at 11:21 AM.
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