If you’re judging purely on the basis a pitcher’s stuff, Marlins starter Sandy Alcantara is among the toughest players to face in the league.
His fastball consistently hits 100-plus mph. His sinker is in the high 90s. Oh, and he has a 95 mph changeup. Yes, a changeup.
The Reds’ Nick Castellanos got a chance to see it firsthand.
Alcantara, who basically proves how meaningless win-loss record is as a pitching statistic, went seven innings and struck out 11 in the Marlins’ 3-1 loss to the Reds on Sunday. During the sixth inning, Alcantara went right after the Reds star, targeting the inside corner on three straight pitches for a strikeout.
But we really need to focus on that final pitch of the at-bat … a 95 MPH CHANGEUP.