Santo Domingo – Dominican star pitcher Sandy Alcántara concluded his participation in spring training with a performance that reaffirms his preparation for the 2026 Major League Baseball season.
Alcántara demonstrated his dominance by striking out his compatriot Juan Soto twice, in a matchup that captured the attention of the fans.
Star Showdown in Spring Training
The two players, who recently represented the Dominican Republic in the World Baseball Classic, met as rivals in Spring Training, offering one of the most anticipated duels.
Alcántara pitched for 4.2 innings, allowing five hits and three runs, but struck out six in the Marlins’ 4-3 victory.
The most notable thing was the recovery of his ability to strike out batters, accumulating 16 strikeouts in 12.2 innings during the preseason.
The face-off with Soto was particularly exciting. In the first inning, Alcántara dominated him with a sweeper at 84.6 miles per hour after a full count (3-2). Soto responded with an unstoppable hit in his second at-bat, but Alcántara prevailed again in the fifth inning, striking him out with an 86.5 mph cutter for his sixth strikeout of the game.
As the 2022 Cy Young Award winner, Alcántara will be the Marlins’ starting pitcher on Opening Day, facing Colorado this Friday at 7:10 PM.
