In a Year of Ups and Downs, Indians Pitcher Carlos Carrasco Named the MLB ‘Comeback Player of the Year’

It was quite a year for Indians pitcher Carlos Carrasco, filled with times of struggle as he battled myeloid leukemia, as well as with victory when he was able to overcome the illness to return to the team in September.

The Tribe starter on Tuesday was awarded the 2019 Major League Baseball ‘Comeback Player of the Year’ award, and with the year that he had, it couldn’t have gone to a move deserving player.

The story of Carrasco is more than just wins and losses, as all of baseball cheered him on at the 2019 MLB All-Star Game in Cleveland, and when he finally was able to return to the mound, it became more than a game when his opponent that day, the Tampa Bay Rays, gave him a standing ovation as he took the mound.

In 2019 Carrasco made 11 relief appearances overall during his September comeback, the highlight was when he threw 2.2 scoreless innings at home at Progressive Field against the Philadelphia Phillies, earning his sixth win of the season.

This isn’t the first award that Carrasco was bestowed with in 2019, as he also is the 2019 Roberto Clemente Award winner.

While it’s unknown what Carrasco will mean to the Indians in 2020 in terms of moving back to the rotation or if he will be a part of the pen, his 2019 and his story is one that many Indians fans will not soon forget.

Carlos is the second Indians player to claim the AL Comeback Player of the Year Award, joining left-handed pitcher Cliff Lee (2008).