Sandy brings 100 mph spring heat: 'He was cooking'

JUPITER, Fla. -- Major League hitters beware: Marlins ace Sandy Alcantara is bringing the heat.

Alcantara hit triple digits twice during his latest spring tuneup in Friday afternoon¡¯s 7-2 Grapefruit League loss to the Braves at Roger Dean Chevrolet Stadium. To put this high-octane velocity into perspective, he reached at least 100.4 mph just three times during the 2023 season before undergoing Tommy John surgery that October.

¡°I know when I've got to throw hard,¡± Alcantara said. ¡°I've got to make my body work a little bit more. But today, everything feels good with my arm, [it] was good out there. I just want to show people that I'm healthy and I can throw hard.¡±

The 29-year-old Alcantara followed up his strong spring debut last Sunday with two scoreless innings in a 30-pitch outing. He retired the Braves in order in the first, capping the frame with a 100-mph four-seam fastball that caught Sean Murphy looking after an ABS challenge. Alcantara successfully challenged another pitch later in his appearance.

In the second, Alcantara worked around a pair of singles by striking out former Marlins teammate Jos¨¦ Devers on a 90 mph slider and prospect David McCabe on a 92.4 mph changeup.

Overall, Alcantara maxed out at 100.4 mph with his four-seamer in the second, 93.2 mph with his changeup in the first and 90 mph with his slider in the second. Alcantara's 100.4 mph fastball is the fastest pitch by a starter this spring, and Tigers aceTarik Skubal is the only other starter to reach triple digits.

Here is the list of starting pitchers who threw at least one 100-plus mph four-seamer or sinker, one 93-plus mph changeup and one 90-plus mph slider in a start in 2024:

? Yankees right-hander Luis Gil
? Pirates right-hander Jared Jones

¡°Sandy was great,¡± manager Clayton McCullough said. ¡°Velo was, especially even in the second, ticking up there into triple digits. He was cooking today. That was great to see, get his two innings. And even so, a little bit of traffic is good right now. I thought, all in all, that was a really solid second outing for him.¡±

More than any result on the scoreboard or on the radar gun, the main goals for Alcantara coming off major surgery are staying healthy and building up his stamina. He will go three frames his next time out in five days as part of a normal throwing progression.

¡°It's a good sign of certainly where he is at this point in spring,¡± McCullough said. ¡°I imagine just continue to get built up and get stronger and stronger.¡±