Kevin

Alcantara

Alcantara should be ready to go in the spring. The Cubs used up their third option year on Alcantara this season, but they’ll probably be awarded a fourth since he received only very limited action prior to 2022. If Kyle Tucker walks, the Cubs could leave a lineup spot open for Alcantara, Owen Caissie and Moisés Ballesteros to battle for in the spring. Alcantara would likely be the underdog there, though.

Alcántara returns to Chicago’s outfield mix with fellow top prospect Owen Caissie landing on the concussion injured list. The 23-year-old went went 1-for-6 in three games earlier this month for the Cubs.

Chicago has decided to bring up fellow top prospect Owen Caissie instead of keeping Alcántara in a reserve role for the final two weeks of the season. The 23-year-old went 1-for-6 at the dish in three games. He hasn’t gotten into a game since last weekend.

It’s a bit surprising to see Ballesteros get the nod over Owen Caissie to replace an injured Kyle Tucker (calf) on Chicago’s roster, but they’re apparently content to roll with Kevin Alcántara having an increased role for at least the next week. The 21-year-old backstop has put up some impressive numbers in the upper minors but he’s going to have a hard time carving out a full-time role with the Cubs due to his defensive limitations.

Crow-Armstrong, who was dropped to seventh in the lineup for Monday’s series opener, takes a seat with underwhelming lefty Joey Wentz taking the ball for Atlanta in this one. It’ll be rookie Kevin Alcántara in center field. Michael Busch is also on the bench in favor of veteran Justin Turner. Chicago has the depth to mix-and-match and they appear poised to have both Crow-Armstrong and Busch sit against southpaws down the home stretch.

Alcántara appeared in three games for the Cubs last season, but this is his first time up in 2025. The 23-year-old hit .266/.349/.470 with 17 homers and 10 steals in 430 plate appearances for Iowa. He’ll play sparingly unless an outfielder gets hurt.

There simply isn’t a spot for Alcántara in Chicago with Kyle Tucker, Ian Happ and Pete Crow-Armstrong locked into starting roles and Seiya Suzuki handling DH duty. The 22-year-old top prospect sipped a quick cup of coffee in the big leagues last year and should get an extended opportunity at some point in the near future after some additional seasoning at the Triple-A level.

Alcántara is considered one of the top hitting prospects in the Chicago system, and one of the best outfield prospects in baseball regardless of organization. The 22-year-old will get a chance to show his talent over the final few games, and good results — or at least looking competent — will at least help a smidgen ir not more in his chances of being a regular for the Cubs in 2025. There’s loads of fantasy upside in his bat.

There are a ton of notable prospects in the latest batch of cuts from Cubs camp, including Shaw, Caissie, Brown and Alcántara. However, the headliner here is Crow-Armstrong, who figured to open the season as Chicago’s starting center fielder. The 21-year-old defensive virtuoso figures to be up shortly, but his roster spot will likely go to Mike Tauchman, who is out of options this spring. Shaw and Caissie are among the top prospects in the organization and figure to make an impact for fantasy managers once they get a shot, which could happen in a few months.

Alcántara is now up to four home runs in the Arizona Fall League while slashing .246/.343/.509 with 16 RBI and two steals in 14 games. He does have 18 strikeouts over that span and swing-and-miss will always be part of his game, but the power upside is immense and Alcántara is a prospect on the rise. He could force his way into the Cubs’ lineup by the 2024 summer.