DistantNews
Support us
MLB veteran Carrasco, a leukemia survivor, joins LG Twins as new weapon
🇰🇷 South Korea /Conflict & Security

MLB veteran Carrasco, a leukemia survivor, joins LG Twins as new weapon

From Dong-A Ilbo · () Korean

Translated from Korean, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

News Named sources Context piece
  • Veteran pitcher Carrasco, with 112 MLB wins and a share of the American League lead in wins in 2017, is set to debut for the LG Twins in the KBO League.
  • Carrasco's arrival is a significant move for the LG Twins, who are currently on an eight-game losing streak and have seen their starting rotation's ERA soar.
  • The 39-year-old pitcher, who overcame leukemia in 2019, aims to help the LG Twins contend for a championship, bringing valuable experience and a changed pitching repertoire to the team.

The KBO League is set to welcome a new foreign pitcher, Carrasco, who brings an impressive resume of 112 Major League Baseball (MLB) wins to the LG Twins. The 39-year-old Venezuelan is scheduled to make his debut against the Doosan Bears at Jamsil Stadium on August 1st.

Carrasco's signing is a notable event, as he is the first pitcher with over 100 MLB wins to join a KBO team. Previously, the record for most MLB wins by a foreign pitcher in the KBO was held by Noah (90 wins), who played for SSG in 2022. The LG Twins signed Carrasco to a $360,000 contract on July 22nd, hoping to reverse their fortunes after a six-game losing streak.

However, the team's struggles have continued, extending to an eight-game losing streak and a drop from first to third place in the standings. This marks the first time LG has experienced such a losing streak since 2018. The team's starting pitchers have struggled significantly, with an ERA of 8.18 in the second half of the season, the worst in the league. Carrasco's performance is seen as crucial for LG to regain its leading position.

Our team can only go up from here. My goal is to win the championship.

— CarrascoCarrasco's statement expressing confidence before his KBO debut.

Carrasco, who debuted in MLB in 2009 with Cleveland, has had a 17-season career. He achieved a career-high 18 wins in 2017 and recorded double-digit wins for four consecutive seasons starting in 2015. Beyond his wins, Carrasco has demonstrated resilience, notably returning to MLB in July 2020 after being diagnosed with chronic myeloid leukemia in May 2019.

While his fastball velocity has decreased since his peak (averaging 148 km/h this season compared to 153 km/h), Carrasco has adapted his pitching style. He has reduced his four-seam fastball usage to about 13%, increasing his reliance on changeups, sinkers, cutters, and sliders. In his MLB appearances this season, he pitched in relief, while in the minor league's Triple-A, he started six of his eight games, posting a 2.55 ERA.

I thought, 'I'm not strange. There are many women who love baseball like this.' So I want to prove the value of this league more.

— Kim Ra-kyungKim Ra-kyung reflecting on her journey and motivation to play in the new league.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by Dong-A Ilbo in Korean. Translated, summarized, and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

More Stories

From Our Blog