New York Yankees Prospects: Kevin Alcantara

New York Yankees, Aaron Boone
Feb 16, 2020; Tampa, Florida, USA; New York Yankees manager Aaron Boone (17) during spring training at George M. Steinbrenner Field. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports

In a few years, New York Yankees fans could be talking about another giant outfielder getting ready to break through into the majors. The prospect that could be the next Yankees outfielder to produce jaw dropping home runs is young Kevin Alcantara. The Yankees signed Alcantara in the 2018 out of the Dominican Republic for $1 million. Alcantara stands a very impressive 6’6 and has plus skills for a prospect so young. Alcantara is just going to turn 18 over the summer and he got his first taste of pro ball last year. Alcantara has very good bat speed and his natural physical projection gives Yankees fans hopes of another 40+ HR outfield threat years down the line. Alcantara has predominately played center field which he covers with ease. Alcantara has plus speed and he just glides in the outfield. Obviously as he continues to get bigger, he will probably be better suited for a corner outfield spot, but either way, Alcantara is a very promising outfield prospect.

First Pro Action

Last year was the first taste of action that Alcantara received as a Yankees. In 41 games in rookie ball last year, Alcantara hit .255 and drove in 19 runs. Alcantara did have a pretty low OBP at only .305, but we are going to chalk that up to his youth and inexperience. The tools are all there for Alcantara to be something special. He currently resides just outside the top ten of all Yankees prospects and it’s very easy to see why. When you look at the tape, Alcantara reminds me a lot of Aaron Judge with the way that he swings the bat. From the stance to the follow-through, it’s easy to see why some draw the comparison. There are a couple of things he will need to tweak in his mechanics as he continues to improve over time. I think he will want to draw back on his extreme leg kick and focus on driving the ball to all fields which is something that Aaron Judge does extremely well. In watching some tape, Alcantara can have the tendency to pull off on the ball just a little. Obviously he has plenty of time to iron out these issues over the next several years.

On Deck

Moving forward, New York Yankees fans should be really excited about Alcantara. He needs to add about 40-50 pounds to reach his full physical potential and he needs to iron out a few things in his game. Again, only being 17 gives Alcantara plenty of time to develop. You’re not going to see this kid turn into something special over the next year or two, but down the line, Alcantara can be something dangerous. When the year gets going, I just want to see Alcantara hit the weights and continue to develop physically. The raw tools are all there, now the body just needs to catch up. I think Alcantara projects to be one of the best prospects in the system and it will not surprise me to see him near the top five in Yankees prospects in the next year or two.