Marlins’ Sandy Alcantara gets second All-Star nod. His case to be NL’s starting pitcher
News that was all but a formality became official on Sunday: Miami Marlins ace and National League Cy Young Award contender Sandy Alcantara is a 2022 MLB All-Star.
This is Alcantara’s second All-Star nod of his career, with his first coming in 2019, and joins teammate Jazz Chisholm Jr. on the NL roster for the Midsummer Classic to give Miami multiple All-Stars for the first time since 2017.
“I feel so happy,” Alcantara said, “because they know the job that I’ve been doing. I think I deserve it. I’m just going to go there, have fun and enjoy the game.”
Alcantara’s selection this year was all but a lock, considering he has been one of MLB’s top pitchers all season.
And he’s been better than that if you ask his fellow Marlins All-Star.
“He’s the best pitcher in the world,” Chisholm said Friday.
Alcantara won’t go that far when talking about himself, but at least for this season, that might not be hyperbole considering how he has fared on the mound as he continues his evolution as the Marlins’ ace and toward becoming a household name across the league.
After throwing seven shutout innings on Sunday in a 2-0, extra-inning win over the New York Mets, he leads the majors in innings pitched (130 1/3) and complete games (two) while also ranking among league leaders in ERA (1.73, tied for second), batting average against (.193, fifth), and walks and hits per inning pitched (0.91, fifth).
He has thrown at least seven innings in 12 consecutive starts, has held opponents to two earned runs or fewer in 11 of those 12 starts and held opponents to zero earned runs in five of those 12 starts.
Eight of those 12 games have been against the Atlanta Braves (twice), New York Mets (three times), San Francisco Giants, Philadelphia Phillies and St. Louis Cardinals.
What would that mean for Alcantara to start?
“A lot,” Alcantara said. “It would be great for me, for my country and for my team.”
This story was originally published July 10, 2022 at 5:51 PM.
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