Is this Marlin the next Sandy Alcantara?

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From a numbers standpoint, Edward Cabrera's eighth start of the season, in Sunday afternoon's 8-1 loss to the Dodgers at loanDepot park, wasn't anything special. But the outing -- 5 2/3 innings, six runs and five hits (plus five strikeouts) -- demonstrated something special about the Marlins' 24-year-old right-hander.

Cabrera has the composure and the drive to grow that is necessary to succeed on a Major League mound. That attitude was showcased after he allowed two runs to the Dodgers in the first inning, and with his willingness to change his plan of attack.

After Cabrera allowed a leadoff homer to Mookie Betts on his changeup -- which is his second-best pitch -- then walked Trea Turner on four pitches, pitching coach Mel Stottlemyre Jr. had a chat with him and catcher Nick Fortes, who has caught seven of Cabrera's starts this year.

"[Stottlemyre] told us we [had to] spin the ball a little bit more," Fortes said, "like throw a couple more sliders and curveballs. Because at the time, [Cabrera] was having trouble executing his changeup, which is his best pitch. So [Stottlemyre] just recommended that we start spinning the ball a little more and just do something different."

To understand the significance of the switch from changeup to curveball, you have to understand how Cabrera has already improved his arsenal. His four-seam usage has gone from 38.6 percent to 21.8 percent since 2021, while his changeup has seen a corresponding uptick in usage (23.7 percent to 35.7 percent). His slider has been a consistently solid strikeout pitch, but this season, his changeup has joined the mix and replaced his four-seamer as a K-getter.

While Cabrera's changeup found some results on Sunday, his command with the offering was inconsistent, and thus his curveball (15.1 percent of his arsenal per Statcast) became his go-to strikeout pitch.

Stottlemyre has high hopes for Cabrera as he continues to increase his consistency this season and beyond, especially given Cabrera's unique arsenal -- which features "four to five plus-plus pitches," per Fortes -- and “incredible secondary weapons,” per Stottlemyre.

"He's got it in him to be a guy like Sandy [Alcantara]: somebody that a club can count on, that a staff can count on and know what they're going to get from him every five days he takes the baseball,” Stottlemyre said. “He's headed in that direction. That [just] hasn't yet arrived."