MIAMI — Sandy Alcantara didn’t rush leaving loanDepot Park on Wednesday afternoon.
After beating the San Diego Padres 3-2, Miami’s ace hung around with his two children inside the Marlins’ clubhouse, introducing the three-month-old daughter on his hip to teammates as loud, Latin music blared overhead.
Understandably, the mood was light: The Marlins had just claimed their sixth win in eight tries and second straight series victory, while Alcantara — in his second start after a wretched first half of 2025 — just posted one of his best outings of the season.
In Wednesday’s win over the Padres, Alcantara pitched a season-high seven innings and didn’t allow an earned run. He notched four strikeouts, didn’t walk a batter and moved through the San Diego lineup about as efficiently as he has all season.
“Going seven short innings out there, giving a chance to my team to win, it was tremendous for me,” Alcantara said. “Everyone feels happy about the job I did because they know I needed it so much. I feel so great about it.”
The hope is that this is a turning point for Alcantara. Through 19 appearances prior to Wednesday, he had looked like a shell of the man who unanimously claimed the 2022 NL Cy Young Award.
Heading into Wednesday’s breakout game, the 29-year-old Dominican was 4-9 and hadn’t pitched a quality start — six innings with three or fewer earned runs — in more than a month. In the 97 innings pitched before Wednesday, he allowed 106 hits while striking out just 73 and was on track to set a career-worst in ERA.
Those struggles appeared to follow him after the All-Star break when Alcantara surrendered five runs in six innings to the Kansas City Royals last Friday, only being saved by Kyle Stowers’ walk-off blast in the 10th inning.
“We all know, it’s been talked about a lot with the struggles this year. What (Alcantara) has continued to do is resilience through his competitiveness. I think we enjoy and celebrate because that was a terrific outing,” said Marlins’ manager Clayton McCullough. “Very happy for Sandy.”
In seven pro seasons, Alcantara has never been a strikeout pitcher. He reached peak form in 2022 by keeping the baseball in the park and on the ground — that year he posted career-bests in homers per nine innings (0.63) and ground ball percentage (53.4) — which was the exact mode he tapped into in his latest start.
Alcantara stayed perfect and racked up all four of his strikeouts through the first three innings. After giving up his first hit in the fourth, he quickly drew a double play to retire the side. Alcantara’s day could’ve ended after forcing three straight groundouts in the sixth, but McCullough left him in and he stayed clean in the seventh by ending the frame in four at bats.
“Feels great,” Alcantara said. “Finally went through seven innings and everything was working. Sinker was great; changeup was good; slider, curve, everything was working.”
A potential turnaround for Alcantara’s season comes at a decisive time for the Marlins with the trade deadline on Thursday looming large.
Alcantara’s name has been floated repeatedly in trade rumors, however, the thought was that his extended struggles on a massive contract that pays him $17.3 million this season may have soured most interest.
But, after fielding one of his best performances of the season in what could be a midseason turnaround for Alcantara, a solidified playoff contender in need of another arm could come calling with an offer.
“I feel great being here in this organization,” Alcantara said in response to trade rumors. “What I know is that I got to go on the road with the team. So if something happens, it happens.”
