Heysus, who struck out Otani, becomes a winning member of the WBC! "KBO returns, it's always open → I'll go back someday"

*This content was translated by AI.

"I love all Korean fans. If I have a chance, I really want to go back to KBO."

Left-hander Enmanuel de Heysus (30, Detroit Tigers), who gave his country Venezuela its first-ever WBC (World Baseball Classic) trophy, expressed his deep longing for Korean fans even in joy.

Venezuela beat the United States 3-2 in the 2026 World Baseball Classic (WBC) final at Rondipo Park in Miami, Florida on the 18th (Korea time). Venezuela, which was leading by scoring in the third and fifth innings, allowed Bryce Harper to score a tiebreaking two-run shot in the bottom of the eighth inning, but scored a dramatic winning run again in the top of the ninth inning to seal the victory.

Heysus is a hidden contributor to Venezuela's victory in this tournament. In particular, he became a winning pitcher by setting the stage for an 8-5 come-from-behind victory with two scoreless perfect innings, striking out Shohei Ohtani (32, LA Dodgers), the "God of Baseball," in the bottom of the fourth inning, trailing 2-5 in the quarterfinals against Japan. At the time, he maintained his confidence, saying, "I trusted myself and pushed myself."

In fact, Heyesus is a very familiar face to domestic baseball fans. He took his first step into the KBO League in the 2024 season wearing the Kiwoom Heroes' uniform, and in the 2025 season, he played for KT Wiz and reigned as the league's top foreign left-hander. However, after failing to renew his contract with KT in the 2025 season, he signed a minor league contract with Detroit. When he showed a decent performance in the exhibition game, he achieved an increase in his status entering the 40-man roster. Now, depending on the situation, there is a possibility of entering the opening roster.

Speaking to Star News shortly after the victory ceremony, Heyesus said, "I'm really excited. It was a dream of my life to win the WBC title," he said. "It was a really difficult tournament for our team, but we did it in the end. "The whole team did a really great job, and a lot of hard work came together and I was able to come here," he said, giving credit to his teammates.

Regarding his outstanding pitching in the national team, he also said, "It was an honor to have the opportunity to represent my country, and I'm really happy to be a champion by showing good pitching."

When he reported that the news of winning against Japan by turning Ohtani became an issue in Korea, Heysus smiled brightly and said, "I love all Korean fans. When I was in Korea, the fans were really the best," he said, not forgetting to thank them.

Finally, regarding his future course of action, he said, "I am currently on the 40-man roster and belong to the Detroit Tigers, but no one knows what will happen in the future," but added, "I want to go back to the KBO League. I hope there will be a chance to throw again there someday," he said, asking the reporter to shake hands.

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*This content was translated by AI.