Marlins' Sandy Alcantara Reaches Second All-Time Strikeouts Amid Trade Deadline Plans

Sandy Alcantara, Miami Marlins’ ace and 2022 National League Cy Young Award winner, has shown signs of returning to his top form after a challenging start to the 2025 season. Over his last three starts, Alcantara has posted a 2.12 ERA, a significant improvement from his early season 8.47 ERA, allowing only two runs in five innings in his most recent outing against the Philadelphia Phillies. During that game, he made Marlins history by surpassing Josh Johnson for the second-most strikeouts in franchise history with 834, trailing only Ricky Nolasco's 1,001. Despite giving up two solo home runs, Alcantara's performance has renewed trade speculation as he remains under team control through 2027 with a relatively affordable contract. His recent consistency has increased his trade value, making him a valuable asset for pitching-needy contenders like the Yankees, Dodgers, or Tigers ahead of the July 31 MLB trade deadline. Alcantara's resurgence is being closely watched, as he continues to strive for excellence every fifth day and aims to cement his legacy as the Marlins’ top pitcher ever.