It wasn’t a query of whether or not Sandy Alcantara would win the Cy Younger Award, simply one in all whether or not he would grow to be the primary unanimous winner within the Nationwide League since Clayton Kershaw in 2014.
Certainly, the Miami Marlins‘ 27-year-old right-hander swept all 30 first-place votes to beat out Braves lefty Max Fried and Dodgers southpaw Julio Urias to grow to be the primary Cy Younger winner in Marlins historical past.
With Houston Astros ace Justin Verlander additionally successful the AL Cy Younger by unanimous vote, this marks simply the second time that each Cy Younger winners had been unanimous. Bob Gibson and Denny McLain additionally received unanimously in 1968, one 12 months after the award began to be given out to each leagues.
On this age of five-inning starters, Alcantara stood out as a unicorn: He pitched 228⅔ innings, 23⅔ greater than different pitcher within the majors, and probably the most innings since David Price threw 230 in 2016. He threw six full video games — greater than some other workforce. He pitched a minimum of eight innings in 14 of his 32 begins, probably the most such video games since 2014. His 8.0 WAR simply topped Aaron Nola’s 6.0 as the perfect within the NL and ranked as the perfect in Marlins historical past, forward of Kevin Brown’s 7.9 in 1996.
“I am very proud of the kind of season I used to be capable of have this season,” Alcantara stated in a video launched when he received the Gamers Alternative Award because the excellent NL pitcher. “It is like I’ve at all times advised the media: My mentality is to be a lion on the mound, end all my begins.”
Here is one other technique to view Alcantara’s award: He had 16 begins of greater than seven innings once you add in his two 7⅔-inning outings. Fried and Urias mixed for simply two outings of greater than seven innings. It wasn’t simply his skill to pitch deep into video games that made Alcantara the Cy Younger winner, nevertheless. His 2.28 ERA ranked second within the NL behind Urias’ 2.16, and he held batters to a .212 common with among the most electrical stuff within the majors.
“He is throwing 100-plus mph and he is bought motion on that fastball,” Cardinals first baseman Paul Goldschmidt stated.
Certainly, Alcantara averaged just below 98 mph together with his fastball (he throws each a four-seamer and sinker), however his recreation plan is a bit of completely different from numerous trendy pitchers. He induces numerous tender contact relatively than simply racking up strikeouts — and thus avoids the excessive pitch counts that outcome from numerous deep counts. Consequently, he led all starters in averaging simply 14.2 pitches per inning, permitting him to go deep into video games. He nonetheless managed 207 strikeouts, together with a season-high 14 in an eight-inning win over the Braves on Could 28. “Generally with Sandy it seems to be like pitch and catch,” then-Marlins supervisor Don Mattingly stated after that dominating victory.
Initially signed by the Cardinals out of the Dominican Republic, the Marlins acquired Alcantara after the 2017 season in a commerce that despatched Marcell Ozuna to St. Louis. Alcantara made the All-Star workforce in 2019, his first full season within the majors, when he completed with a 3.88 ERA, after which had an enormous breakout in 2021, when he went 9-15 with a 3.19 ERA in 205 innings.
An improved changeup took him to a different degree this season, as batters hit simply .145 towards it with no residence runs in 248 at-bats. It is a energy change that averaged 91.8 mph — sure, a 92 mph changeup. In accordance with Statcast metrics, his changeup saved 25 runs, probably the most worthwhile changeup within the recreation in 2022.
Possibly the spotlight of Alcantara’s season wasn’t one in all his seven scoreless outings, however a 4-3 victory over the Cardinals on June 29. Main 4-3 with runners at first and second and one out within the ninth and Alcantara at 115 pitches, Mattingly got here out to apparently take away him from the sport. Alcantara talked himself into staying in and two pitches later induced to a double play to finish it.
“When he got here to me, I stated, ‘I bought it. I bought it.’ I believe he has an excessive amount of confidence in me to complete the sport,” Alcantara stated after that win. “I haven’t got to fret when I’ve males on base. I do know I can throw a strike and get a double play.”
“He stated he had it, and he did,” Mattingly stated. “I wasn’t going to vow him two hitters, however I gave him that one. He is fairly particular.”
Particular sufficient that the extension the Marlins signed him to final November that runs by way of 2027 now seems to be like a cut price. With the Marlins now having a Cy Younger winner, the one franchises with out one are the Texas Rangers and Colorado Rockies.
