Halfway through the MLB season, the Miami Marlins currently sit at 43-48, five games back of the wild card. The Marlins owe everything this season to Sandy Alcantara, who’s been pitching on another level, above and beyond the rest of the MLB.
Alcantara has an ERA of 1.76 and a WHIP of .904 and leads the league in games started (19) and innings pitched (138). To me, the last two stats stand out the most; it just proves how reliable Alcantara is, not to mention, he leads the league in WAR (wins above replacement). WAR is a stat that takes everything into account to calculate how many wins one player accounts for, and Alcantara leads the MLB in WAR with 5.3. To help put it into context, the average player’s WAR is 2 for the whole season, and Sandy has 5.3, and we’re only halfway through the season.
If you still aren’t on the Alcantara bandwagon yet, you will be. He has a better ERA and WHIP and is on pace for more innings pitched than 2000 Cy Young winner Randy Johnson. Alcantara’s stats are also better than Pedro Martinez’s 1999 Cy Young season. Both of these guys are in the Hall Of Fame.
Simply, Alcantara is having beyond a remarkable season, and you won’t want to miss it.
As of now, it is clear that Alcantara should win the Cy Young Award, but he might also win the NL MVP.
Alcantara is the last of a dying breed of workhorse pitchers. He consistently pitches deep into games (seven innings or more), hence, that’s why he leads the MLB in innings pitched.
In an era where pitchers don’t go past five innings because “advanced stats” says it’s the right move to take out your pitcher, Alcantara stays in. As the game continues, he gets better and better. Even in the 8th or 9th innings, Alcantara still manages to throw his 99 mph fastball.
Starting the second half of the season, the Marlins are still in the hunt for the playoffs. If they can somehow muster an average offense, the Marlins pitcher, specifically Sandy Alcantara, can carry them to the playoffs.
That is what Alcantara does. He wins and competes harder than anyone. This is an MVP, the best pitcher, and the best overall player in baseball this season. Fans should sit back and watch because you don’t see this very often.