Carlos Carrasco

Carlos Luis Carrasco (born March 21, 1987), nicknamed "Cookie", is a Venezuelan-American professional baseball pitcher for the New York Mets of Major League Baseball (MLB). He made his MLB debut with the Cleveland Indians in 2009. Listed at and , he throws and bats right-handed. Early life Carrasco was born in 1987 in Barquisimeto, Venezuela. By age 10 he was playing baseball, initially as a third baseman. He was discovered by a baseball scout in Venezuela at age 16, and threw for Sal Agostinelli, international scouting director for the Philadelphia Phillies, demonstrating a fastball. At a young age, Carrasco learned to throw left-handed, in addition to his natural right-handed delivery, but he does not consider himself ambidextrous. Career Philadelphia Phillies Carrasco was signed by the Phillies as an undrafted free agent on November 25, 2003. In 2006, Carrasco spent the entire season at the Single-A level with the Lakewood BlueClaws, compiling a 2.26 ERA in innings pitched. He split time in 2007 between the Single-A Clearwater Threshers and the Double-A Reading Phillies. Carrasco compiled a 2.84 ERA in innings pitched at Clearwater and a 4.86 ERA in innings pitched with Reading. Carrasco threw his first no-hitter on August 21, 2007. He was on the World roster of the 2006, 2007, and 2008 All-Star Futures Games.