Cubs outfield prospect Kevin Alcantara 'not afraid to be challenged'

MESA, Ariz. — Cubs outfield prospect Kevin Alcantara went into the Arizona Fall League this offseason with a goal that had nothing to do with baseball. He told the public-relations staff he wanted to speak English in interviews.

Learning another language to the point of speaking it conversationally is hard enough; speaking it in interviews can be intimidating. But it was a challenge Alcantara, who grew up in the Dominican Republic, was eager to take on.

‘‘I’m so happy because now I not only talk to Latin guys but American guys,’’ he told the Sun-Times — in English — at the AFL Fall-Star weekend. ‘‘I improved a lot in my English.’’

Since coming to the organization as part of the trade that sent first baseman Anthony Rizzo to the Yankees, Alcantara has been a connector. His big personality and comedic streak bridged language barriers. And while his commitment to learning a new language was connected to the kind of teammate he wanted to be, it also reflected his approach to baseball.

‘‘He’s not afraid to be challenged and he’s not afraid to look bad,’’ hitting coordinator and Double-A Tennessee hitting coach Rachel Folden said in a phone conversation.

Folden coached Alcantara in the Arizona Complex League his first year in the Cubs’ organization, and he is set to begin the season with Folden at Double-A.

‘‘There’s a vulnerability and a, ‘OK, yeah, I’ll listen to you. I will try this. And if it helps make me better, that’s awesome,’ ’’ Folden said. ‘‘But also it just shows that he cares.’’

When the 6-6 Alcantara first joined the Cubs, making his swing more direct to help him time fastballs became a focus.

‘‘He’s probably been the biggest kid on every team he’s ever been on and probably hasn’t seen a lot of fastballs in his life because of that,’’ Folden said. ‘‘And so he was really, really good at sitting on breaking balls, and he knew when they were coming because that’s how people had pitched him.’’

Alcantara quickly made adjustments. He hit the weight room, climbed to Double-A late last season and showed he could hit high-velocity fastballs — hard.

‘‘If you tell him to do something, he can pretty much execute it
because he has really good body control,’’ Folden said. ‘‘He’s an athlete. He’s a really good athlete.’’

The next step for Alcantara will be to hone his approach and pitch selection, a common challenge for prospects in the upper levels of the minor leagues.

‘‘My goal is to continue working my mind,’’ Alcantara said. ‘‘It’s the most important for me because I know my ability.’’

He was in his second big-league camp this year since being added to the 40-man roster after the 2022 season. And he said his conversations with manager Craig Counsell mostly centered around patience.

‘‘The baseball swing is harder for tall people,’’ Counsell said this month. ‘‘There’s advantages to [being tall], but it also makes it harder. And so there’s a pretty good history of it just taking a little longer.’’

For Alcantara, those challenges manifest in his timing. On one swing, his stride might be early. On another, it might be a little high.

‘‘It’s trying to find the consistency,’’ he said.

Even though Alcantara was optioned to Double-A last week, the Cubs see a bright future for him as he continues his fearless approach to development. On Friday, he was penciled in to bat cleanup in the ‘‘Spring Breakers’’ prospect showcase between the Cubs and White Sox before it was canceled by rain.

‘‘He has that jaguar mentality,’’ assistant general manager Jared Banner said, referring to Alcantara’s nickname. ‘‘He really believes in himself, he knows how talented he is and he plans to be a really good baseball player. And he’s getting closer and closer every day.’’