'Hungry' Alcántara hoping to pounce on big league prey in '25
MESA, Ariz. -- The thing about jaguars is, you don’t want to see one when it’s hungry. So when Cubs legend Sammy Sosa spoke to the organization’s No. 6 prospect per MLB Pipeline -- and the No. 89 prospect overall -- the former slugger gave him some apt advice. “His
MESA, Ariz. -- The thing about jaguars is, you don’t want to see one when it’s hungry.
So when Cubs legend Sammy Sosa spoke to the organization’s No. 6 prospect per MLB Pipeline -- and the No. 89 prospect overall -- the former slugger gave him some apt advice.
“His advice for me for hitting,” said Kevin Alcántara, a man they call The Jaguar, “was to stay hungry.”
And stay hungry he did in Saturday night’s 8-3 victory for the Cubs’ top prospects over their counterparts from the Angels in a Spring Breakout showdown at Sloan Park.
Alcántara, wearing a glove in center field that sported a jaguar print to go along with a jaguar-print belt and jaguar-themed headband beneath his cap, demonstrated why the Cubs are envisioning big things ahead for him when he homered in the first inning and then singled in the sixth.
The home run was a two-run shot over the left-center field wall off the Angels’ top pitching prospect, Caden Dana. Alcántara, who stands 6-foot-6, has a naturally long swing that produces high exit velocities. But on this pitch -- a fastball off the plate inside -- he brought his hands in and muscled the ball over the fence.
Therein lies one of the reasons he’s called “The Jaguar” -- the power. Combine that with his speed on the basepaths and intuition in center field, and there you have it.
While Alcántara has yet to truly tap into his power at the plate -- he’s never produced more than 15 home runs in a single Minor League season -- the 22-year-old knows it’s in there, and that’s it’s only a matter of time before it starts appearing more frequently.
“I know I have power,” Alcántara said. “It’s just that you have to control your moves in the box. Because I’m a tall guy. Sometimes it’s difficult for tall guys to hit the ball because sometimes the pitcher likes to throw the ball down. So you need to figure it out with that.
“But now I’m feeling I’m controlling my body. Sometimes you miss because it’s normal, but you want to [have] consistency every single day.”
If Alcántara begins to consistently do what he did on Saturday, there will be a lot of pitchers who experience the specter of a hungry jaguar ready to pounce from 60 feet, 6 inches away.
Kevin Alcántara makes a young fan's day by giving out his batting gloves 🥹 pic.twitter.com/wXvJNrUjqz
— Marquee Sports Network (@WatchMarquee) March 16, 2025
Alcántara said that the key to his homer was staying behind the ball, an element of the body control he mentioned. He said he’s in a good place at the plate, as evidenced by his .280 batting average and three doubles in Cactus League play.
“I continue working,” he said, “so I can have my chance to stay in the big leagues.”
Alcántara made his MLB debut for Chicago on Sept. 25 of last season, going 1-for-10 with a single. Now he’s striving for a callup from which he doesn't return.
To that end, another area in which he’s diligently working is defense in center field. Already a quality outfielder, thanks in part to his instincts when chasing his prey, Alcántara has tremendous potential defensively.
“I’m going to improve my first step,” he said. “I keep working because I know I can be an elite outfielder in the future.”
Beyond his hitting, running and defense, there’s the evident joy with which Alcántara plies his craft.
It’s not really even a craft, if you ask him.
“I enjoy the game with my guys,” he said. “The first thing is to stay happy every single game. Because it’s a game. It’s not a job. It’s a game.”
It’s a game, and games are supposed to be fun. Alcántara brings fun both with his play and with his style.
Once his drive left the ballpark on Saturday, Alcántara made his way around the bases and before reaching home plate, he flashed the “Jaguar claw.”
His nickname was born when Alcántara was with Single-A Myrtle Beach in 2022. At first, “The Panther” was on the table for consideration.
But that didn’t work.
“I was trying to find a nickname for me,” Alcántara said. “Sometimes you see a panther, but the Black Panther is the guy in the movie. I wanted an authentic nickname. I’m trying to make my mark.”
Alcántara certainly made his mark in Spring Breakout. And if his determination to turn his raw ability into stardom in the Majors is any indication, he could be making his mark for years to come.
Columbus Clingstones Welcome Aflac as Cornerstone Partner
COLUMBUS, Ga., — The Columbus Clingstones, the Double-A affiliate of the Atlanta Braves, are thrilled to welcome Aflac as a cornerstone partner ahead of the minor league baseball team’s highly anticipated inaugural season. A Fortune 500 company and a leading provider of supplemental health insurance in the U.S., Aflac is
Columbus Clingstones Announce Promotional Schedule for Inaugural Season at Synovus Park
COLUMBUS, Ga. - The Columbus Clingstones announced today the Promotional Schedule for their highly anticipated inaugural season. A promotion-packed schedule of 69 home games at Synovus Park will feature giveaways, theme nights, special appearances, fireworks shows, and weekly promotions to deliver a fresh yet familiar experience for fans all season.
Columbus Clingstones Enter Into Flagship Media Partnership With PMB Broadcasting
COLUMBUS, Ga. - The Columbus Clingstones today announced a media partnership with PMB Broadcasting, confirming that all 138 Clingstones inaugural season games, home and road, will be broadcast on Sports Visions Radio 92.1 FM, part of the PMB Broadcasting family of stations. “We are honored to be the flagship media
Clingstones Announce Public Address Announcer Tryouts on March 16
COLUMBUS, Ga. - The Columbus Clingstones announced today that the club will host closed tryouts to select their first-ever Public Address Announcer. The tryouts will take place on March 16 from 2:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. at Burger King Stadium at Ragsdale Field on the campus of Columbus State University.
Clingstones Announce Fuzzy's Kids Club presented by Chick-fil-A
Columbus, GA - The Columbus Clingstones and Chick-fil-A have teamed up to introduce a new program for the burgeoning team’s youngest fans: Fuzzy’s Kids Club presented by Chick-fil-A! Children ages 5-12 can join this exclusive club, which allows them free admission to all Sunday games and several other special perks.
Clingstones Announce Inaugural 2025 Season Coaching Staff
Columbus, GA - In conjunction with the Atlanta Braves, the Columbus Clingstones today announced the team’s coaching staff for the Inaugural 2025 season at Synovus Park. Cody Gabella will become the first manager in Clingstones history. Entering his fourth season as a manager in the Braves system, last season Gabella
Columbus Clingstones Announce Fuzzy as Official Name of Mascot
Columbus, GA (November 20, 2024) – The Columbus Clingstones, the Double-A affiliate of the Atlanta Braves, are excited to announce Fuzzy as the new name of its first team mascot. Outfitted with a Clingstones jersey, friendly smile and vibrant peach color, the cheerful mascot embodies the team’s pride with a
Columbus Clingstones Launch 'Crown the Clingstone' Contest
Columbus, GA (October 29, 2024) – The Columbus Clingstones, the Double-A affiliate of the Atlanta Braves, are excited to announce the ‘Crown the Clingstone’ contest, asking fans to help choose the name of the team’s cheerful mascot ahead of its inaugural 2025 season. Inspired by Minor League Baseball’s rich tradition
Clingstones announce game times for 2025 season
Columbus, GA – The Columbus Clingstones, the Double-A affiliate of the Atlanta Braves, have announced their game times for the Inaugural 2025 season. The Clingstones will play 69 home games at Synovus Park beginning with the Opening Day on Tuesday, April 15 at 7:05 pm against the Pensacola Blue Wahoos,
Inaugural Opening Night for Columbus Professional Baseball set for April 15, 2025, at Synovus Park
In conjunction with Minor League Baseball, the Columbus Professional Baseball Club has announced their home game schedule for the inaugural 2025 Southern League season. The Atlanta Braves Double-A franchise is scheduled to begin their 2025 campaign on the road before opening night at Synovus Park on Tuesday, April 15, 2025,
Columbus celebrates the next century of affiliated baseball, inks naming rights deal with Synovus
Columbus, GA – Synovus, a financial services leader rooted in Columbus, has signed a multiyear partnership with Diamond Baseball Holdings (DBH), the owner and operator of select Minor League clubs affiliated with Major League Baseball, to become the official naming rights partner for Columbus’ soon-to-be-renovated ballpark. A consortium of public-private
M-Braves announce move to Columbus, Georgia
The Mississippi Braves, Atlanta’s Double-A affiliate, announced Tuesday that they will relocate to Columbus, Ga., following the 2024 season. The Southern League franchise, commonly referred to as the M-Braves, have played at Trustmark Park in Pearl, Miss., since 2005. Previously owned by the Atlanta Braves, the M-Braves were purchased by
The weirdest MiLB stats, plays from June
Welcome to Crooked Numbers, a monthly column dedicated to Minor League Baseball on-field oddities and absurdities. The June edition features a doubles deluge, oppositional surnames, way too many walks and, of course, much more. Keeping track of this type of thing is a team effort, so get in touch if
Hackenberg stacks up MiLB season-high 16 K's
Fresh off the All-Star break, Drue Hackenberg showed off his Sunday best. The Braves' No. 9 prospect struck out 16 -- the most K's in any Minor League Baseball game this season -- over seven innings in Double-A Mississippi's 5-1 win over Pensacola at Blue Wahoos Stadium. Hackenberg bested the
M-Braves offer safe haven for Miss Rankin County
This is an excerpt from the latest edition of the Ben's Biz Beat Newsletter, bringing Minor League Baseball business and culture news to your inbox each and every Thursday. Check out the full newsletter HERE. For David Kerr, working in Minor League Baseball means keeping the following mantra in mind:
Road trip: All roads lead Ben to Rome
This is an excerpt from the latest edition of the Ben's Biz Beat Newsletter, bringing Minor League Baseball business and culture news to your inbox each and every Thursday. Check out the full newsletter HERE. The following ballpark road trip recap is presented by Wyndham, proud sponsor of Minor League
Waldrep strikes out 11 in return to Gwinnett
Two batters into the first Triple-A start of the season for Hurston Waldrep, it looked like it would be a day to forget. Five innings later, that could not have been further from the truth. The Braves' No. 2 prospect, who made one start at Triple-A Gwinnett last September, fanned
M-Braves' new dynamic duo twirls pair of gems
If Wednesday night's Mississippi doubleheader is any indication, the future on the Braves' hill looks scary good. As in the opposition should be scared. Two of Atlanta's top three prospects, Hurston Waldrep and Spencer Schwellenbach, dominated their respective starts en route to the Double-A Braves' sweep of visiting Biloxi at
The weirdest MiLB stats, plays from May
Welcome to Crooked Numbers, a monthly column dedicated to Minor League Baseball on-field oddities and absurdities. This edition, covering the month of May, features reptile cameos, offensive explosions, oppositional surnames and, of course, much more. Keeping track of this type of thing is a team effort, so get in touch
The weirdest MiLB stats, plays from the past month
After a multi-season hiatus, Crooked Numbers returns with a heaping portion of Minor League Baseball on-field oddities and absurdities. This edition, covering the start of the season through the end of April, has a disproportionate number of items from the Triple-A level. As for why that is, who knows? Maybe