PORT ST. LUCIE, Fl. — In the deepest pits of turmoil, light finds a way to seep through the cracks. Every battle to reach the surface is met with mental fortitude, bonds inherited by love, and the inner will to see another day.
Players across the league have different stories to tell. However, stories of Latino players defying odds and taking on the challenge of being a Major League Baseball player remain prevalent today.
One story rings louder than others, and that’s the story of the 2020 Latino MVP American League Pitcher award winner, Carlos “Cookie” Carrasco. An award that was won one year after receiving a life-threatening diagnosis.
In a shortened 2020 season and less than a year after receiving treatments for chronic myeloid leukemia, Carrasco returned to the mound on July 26, 2020. Winning his first game since his cancer diagnosis with a (then) Cleveland Indians jersey on, in front of empty stands caused by the progression of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Little did he know, his ability to return to the hill would inspire many. Carrasco’s name was penned into the 2020 Latino MVP ballot, and many checked his name on the list surrounded by accomplished Latino players.
Cancer treatments, one year. Latino MVP award, the next.
The support from his inner circle drove Carrasco to fight a heavy-weight battle with an intangible advantage. The support and love from his wife, children, and family.
“I can walk away from this,” Carrasco thought as the relentless treatments took him away from the game of baseball. “That’s what I did, with the help of my family and my teammates, too.”
Through the deterioration caused by cancerous cells, Carrasco channeled every ounce of positivity into hope, hope that lifted his children through the darkest of times.
“I can be completely destroyed inside, but (I’ll be) really happy for them,” Carrasco said. A father’s love remained unscathed even with the daunting echoes of a cancer diagnosis following his every move.
Now a member of the New York Mets, Carrasco’s goal is to remain healthy and lead the Mets to their first World Series championship since 1986.
The family remains the focal point to finding the peace and strength the 35-year-old needs to remain mentally strong through the most difficult times, whether it’s doctor’s appointments, battling injuries, or needing the extra boost of motivation to get him through a start.
The Latino MVP award was established to recognize the player who continues to inspire through their performances on the field. For the first time, it has recognized a player’s strength on the field and the battles they’ve fought off the field.
A story already met with triumph, despite never winning a World Series championship (yet).
With the addition of Max Scherzer and Chris Bassitt and the return of Jacob deGrom and Taijuan Walker, Carrasco will sit at the edge of Major League Baseball’s most solid starting rotation.
“It’s completely different. The group of guys we have in here, the players,” Carrasco said on the clubhouse atmosphere before the start of the 2022 season. “Now, Scherzer here, it’s completely different. This is a good group. They just put it together, and I’m really happy to be a part of that group.”
With positive pitching enforcement, it’s hard not to grasp the excitement and message that the Mets are trying to convey: we are here to win.
As Carrasco supports the backend of the rotation, the hopes of feeding off a three-time Cy Young winner Scherzer and two-time Cy Young winner deGrom becomes a necessity — with the desire to remain healthy during the course of the season.
With hopes of having a successful year on the mound, Carrasco smiled at the thought of winning another Latino MVP award. “It means a lot to us,” Carrasco said. “There’s a lot of people out there, a lot of Latinos play out there, and to be recognized by these awards is really good.”
