The Chicago Cubs charted their course. While that is without their on-field captain and rough seas lie ahead at the major league level in the near term, the organization brought in a host of players that one can dream of impacting the next great Cubs team. It’s become a saying that “you can’t have too many shortstops”; it’s less common to say that about outfielders. After compiling perhaps the deepest crops of shortstop prospects in organizational history, the Cubs dramatically filled out their outfield pipeline by adding Greg Deichmann (not listed below), Kevin Alcantara, Pete Crow-Armstrong, and Alexander Canario at the deadline. I’ll examine each of these players in the coming days.
Kevin Alcantara
The 19-year-old outfielder incorporates high-level tools, athleticism, and projection though he is a long way off from contributing to the major league club. As a 19-year-old will immediately add to a stellar group in the Arizona Complex League and is off to a blistering .355/.417/.645 pace through 8 games. It’s a small sample size, but the success is remarkable. In the 8 complex-league games for the Yankees prior to the trade, Alcantara hit .360/.488/.520. More than anything, Alcantara was always viewed as a high-upside prospect who needed time to realize his potential.
In the write-up of the trade, I had this to say:
“Alcantara was a big prospect in the 2018 international free agency class and appears as if he’s realizing his high potential. He is a likely corner outfielder long-term, but one who looks like he has the bat to succeed there. The 7 strikeouts in 25 at-bats (again, small sample-size alert) points to a real area of focus. Alcantara’s swing will evoke some Alfonso Soriano comparisons.”
Mechanics: Alcantara has a pronounced leg kick driving back towards his back hip. As he gains strength, the hope is that he can cut down on the extra motion in his swing, but the tools and projection is there. His head movement near the point of contact is my only concern with the swing in its current state. And even if he doesn’t cut down on any movement, hitters like Alcantara can succeed with better balance.
Future projection: Alcantara has high level upside. He is a long way from Wrigley and there is a high degree of risk in his profile, but Alcantara has the potential to be an above-average regular with occasional all-star appearances. Continuing the comparison to Nick Castellanos, “Big Stick Nick” produced the following:
In my opinion, that is a possible offensive ceiling, but will require significant progress in the next few seasons. Without any ability to scout on defense, I’ll reserve judgment on that aspect of Alcantara’s game. He is an exciting prospect, but the risk in his profile is just one of the reasons “you can’t have too many outfielders”.
Ivy Futures 
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