By Yoo Jee-ho

SEOUL, July 29 (Yonhap) -- Every once in a while, a player of Carlos Carrasco's stature decides to take his talents to South Korea and prompts fans to ask why: As in, why did someone like Carrasco, a former Cy Young Award contender who won 112 games across 17 seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB) and who was once a key part of a rotation on a World Series-bound club, come to the Korea Baseball Organization (KBO)?

With 343 MLB games under his belt at age 39, walking into the sunset would have been a perfectly fine move for Carrasco, who led the American League with 18 wins in 2017 and finished fourth in the Cy Young Award voting that year. However, after splitting his 2026 season between MLB and the minor leagues for the Atlanta Braves, the Venezuelan right-hander signed with the LG Twins last week for US$360,000 to begin a new chapter.

"I would like to thank God for this opportunity. I felt like this was a great opportunity, and the team really sold me on how they needed me here," Carrasco said through an interpreter in his first KBO media availability Tuesday at Jamsil Baseball Stadium in Seoul. He had his first practice with the club earlier in the day.

"One of the biggest reasons that I chose to come here is that I felt I needed some new experience," the pitcher added. "Some of my former teammates who have played in the KBO told me a lot of great things about the KBO. And ultimately, I came to South Korea because I wanted to have a special experience in my career."

Carrasco said two former Twins pitchers, Elieser Hernandez and Adam Plutko, told him a great deal about how passionate KBO fans are, especially with the way they cheer on their favorite clubs nonstop from the first pitch to the final out, regardless of the score.

The Twins boast a loyal fanbase. Through Tuesday's action, they led the KBO with 1,143,330 fans. The Twins have sold out 36 of their 50 games at Jamsil so far this year, and no team has won more games at home than the Twins' 31.

The Twins, though, are going through their roughest patch of the year. Having recently lost a season-high eight consecutive games, they have fallen from first place at the start of July to third place, trailing the league-leading Samsung Lions by five games.

Despite the recent downfall, expectations remain high for the Twins, who won Korean Series titles in 2023 and 2025. They are trying to become the first team since the 2015-2016 Doosan Bears to win back-to-back Korean Series championships, and they will count on Carrasco to help right the ship and take them to the promised land.

Carrasco, who has pitched in MLB postseasons for the Cleveland Indians (currently Guardians), said he welcomes such pressure.

"Throughout my long career, I have learned how to perform to the best of my abilities under pressure, and I think I have a very clear idea on how to overcome pressure," Carrasco said. "I don't regard fans' expectations as pressure. I am excited about that, because we get to play baseball because of our fans and their enthusiastic support. It is important for me to work hard to live up to their expectations."

Even though Carrasco has yet to throw a pitch for the Twins, he already has faith in the team's ability to bounce back.

"We all experience ups and downs over the course of a season, and we are supposed to learn from them as professional athletes," Carrasco said. "I believe we are capable of overcoming this stretch, and the only way for us to go is up. I think I can help my teammates with my pitching and I will try to teach them what I have learned so far. I think it is one of the great things about baseball, the ability

Carrasco said he is a quick study when it comes to figuring out opposing hitters and added he was looking forward to studying KBO hitters and seeing how they react to his arsenal of pitches -- four-seam fastball, changeup, sinker, cutter and slider.

Having supportive teammates around will also help him find his footing in the new environment, Carrasco said.

"I felt a great vibe in the clubhouse, and my teammates gave me some positive energy," he said. "Everyone came to my locker to say hello, and I felt the culture of respect is a big part of this team. I will try my best to reciprocate their respect. I regard unity as the most important element of a team, and I saw that in our clubhouse today."

Carrasco said he quickly fell in love with Seoul but insisted he was not interested in anything outside baseball.

"I really love this city, but I came to South Korea to play baseball. I have not given much thought to anything else," Carrasco said when asked if he was interested in exploring the new culture here. "And when I met my teammates today, I could really feel their love and passion for this team. It reminded me once again how hard I have to work here."

jeeho@yna.co.kr

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