Photo: Joey Tedesco/Daytona Tortugas
This spring the Cincinnati Reds have had more than there fair share of prospects come over from minor league camp and show off some skills and talent. That trend remained the same on Tuesday night under the lights against the Cleveland Guardians.
Alfredo Alcantara, the team’s #23 prospect, entered the game in the top of the 6th inning at second base. In the bottom of the inning he came up to the plate and drew a walk to load the bases for the Reds, but he’d be stranded there. Three innings later he found himself back at the plate for Cincinnati. On the third pitch of the at-bat he got a 95 MPH fastball from Magnus Ellerts and he unloaded on it. Alcantara (pictured above) would hit the ball 408 feet down the line in left field for his first home run of the spring with the big league club. It came off of his bat at 111.6 MPH.
Alcantara has only played in three games this spring with the Reds. He’s only had three at-bats. But he’s also taken full advantage of them, going 2-3 with a double, home run, walk, and he’s scored two runs.
There was only one hitter for Cincinnati to pick up two hits in the game and it was another one of the Reds prospect. Yerlin Confidan, like Alcantara, entered the game in the 6th inning. With runners on the corners and one out he took a 1-1 fastball and lined a single into right field at 114 MPH to drive in a run. In the bottom of the 8th he stepped back into the batters box and picked up an infield single on a 107 MPH grounder back up the middle that the shortstop couldn’t quite come up clean with.
Also entering the game in that 6th inning was Ivan Johnson. After spending time with Great Britain in the World Baseball Classic where he played the infield, Johnson is back in Reds camp and he took over in center field in the top of the frame. He came to the plate in the bottom of the inning and the switch hitter stepped up from the left side of the plate and lined a double to the wall in center at 111 MPH.
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