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For Twins ace Tolhurst, return to KBO is next step in journey to MLB

Published: 30 Mar. 2026, 13:16

LG Twins pitcher Anders Tolhurst pitches in a bullpen session during spring training in Scottsdale, Arizona, on Feb. 2. [LG TWINS]

Anders Tolhurst spent the first three and a half seasons of his professional career in the U.S. minor leagues before moving to Korea and signing with the LG Twins last summer. Though Tolhurst found immediate success in the KBO, his ultimate goal is to reach MLB.

And to realize his dream, Tolhurst, 26, chose to return with the Twins for his first full season in the KBO, rather than signing with a U.S.-based club for a shot at the big league.

"It was a decision that I thought about a lot, but I'm glad I made this decision to come back," Tolhurst told Yonhap News Agency in an interview on Saturday before the Twins' season-opener against the KT Wiz at Jamsil Baseball Stadium in Seoul. "I think just with the time I had over here last year and just being around the guys, I felt a lot more comfortable coming in for this full season. It just made sense to come back to where I'm at in my career right now, and I think this is just all part of the journey of where I'm trying to get to. So I'm super grateful to be able to come back here and just be around my teammates. These guys are great."

Tolhurst can look to some recent career turnarounds for inspiration. The likes of Erick Fedde and Cody Ponce paved their way back to the majors after winning MVP awards here. Merrill Kelly and Ryan Weiss came to the KBO before even reaching the majors and then landed their first big league contracts after successful runs in Korea.

"You saw how dominant Ponce and Weiss were last year here. I'm just trying to follow in their footsteps," Tolhurst said of the former Hanwha Eagles teammates who each recorded over 200 strikeouts in 2025. "I think the KBO is a great thing for pitchers that are coming over from the States and trying to get back to the big leagues. I think it's just a good kind of learning curve over here, and you see that if you can be dominant in this league, it will definitely open up more opportunities going forward. And that's obviously my ultimate goal."

LG Twins pitcher Anders Tolhurst pitches in a bullpen session during spring training in Scottsdale, Arizona, on Feb. 2. [LG TWINS]

"I don't have a set-in-stone time period that I want to be here. I love being here," Tolhurst continued. "This team's great, but obviously, my ultimate goal is to try to get to the big leagues. I'm just going to keep working hard and hopefully, we can get there."

For now, the Twins are surely glad Tolhurst came back for 2026.

Last year, he won his first four regular-season starts while allowing only one earned run in 25 innings, and finished with a 6-2 record and a 2.86 ERA in eight starts. Tolhurst notched two more wins in the Twins' victorious Korean Series over the Eagles. He was the winning pitcher in the clinching Game 5 and was named the Player of the Game.

The Twins are trying to become the first team since the 2016 Doosan Bears to repeat as Korean Series champions, and Tolhurst said his team has "a great chance to do it."

"I think the biggest thing right now is just focusing on one game at a time," the pitcher added. "I don't think we can look too far ahead because it's just trying to stay more in the present right now. With the camaraderie that we have and the group of guys coming back, I think that we're all on the same page of what the ultimate goal is, and that's obviously trying to get back to the Korean Series and hopefully win another one."

LG Twins pitcher Anders Tolhurst, right, prepares for a bullpen session during spring training in Scottsdale, Arizona, on Feb. 2. [LG TWINS]

Tolhurst said he will have to make some adjustments this year to replicate his own success.

"This year, I'll just have to do a better job of mixing all four pitches," said Tolhurst, who mostly threw four-seam fastballs, cutters, forkballs and curveballs last year. "Last year, I got a little fastball dominant, which worked out in some cases. But I think these hitters are good enough where, if you're throwing fastballs all the time, they're eventually going to be able to hit it. It doesn't matter how hard you're throwing. I think these guys are pretty good at this level. The bat-to-ball skills, I think, are better in some aspects than they are in the States."

Going deep into games consistently is another goal for Tolhurst.

"The biggest thing this year is just trying to stay healthy," he said. "I'm expected to throw a lot of innings this year, and I think that's the main focus, and try to help the team out in the best way I can and try to win as many games as possible."

Yonhap