DETROIT -- If Victor Alcantara knew exactly how he went from being an erratic and walk-prone minor-league reliever in 2012-2017 to a big-league pitcher with pinpoint control in 2018, he might be able to start a side business as a pitching coach.
But the 25-year-old Detroit Tigers right-hander insists that he made absolutely no mechanical changes this winter. He just worked hard, focused intently on throwing strikes and became a more confident pitcher.
The results have been staggering.
He walked just seven batters in 51 innings at Triple-A Toledo while posting a 2.81 ERA. Since being promoted to Detroit last month, he's allowed just one run in 16 2/3 innings, while striking out 11 and walking just two.