Nestor Cortés Jr.
Nestor Cortés Jr. (born December 10, 1994), nicknamed Nasty Nestor and Hialeah Kid,[2] is a Cuban-American professional baseball pitcher for the New York Yankees of Major League Baseball (MLB). The Yankees selected him in the 36th round of the 2013 MLB draft. He has previously played in MLB for the Baltimore Orioles and Seattle Mariners.
| Nestor Cortés Jr. | |
|---|---|
Cortés Jr. with the New York Yankees in 2019 | |
| New York Yankees – No. 65 | |
| Pitcher | |
| Born: December 10, 1994[1] Surgidero de Batabanó, Cuba | |
Bats: Right Throws: Left | |
| MLB debut | |
| March 31, 2018, for the Baltimore Orioles | |
| MLB statistics (through 2022 season) | |
| Win–loss record | 19–9 |
| Earned run average | 3.60 |
| Strikeouts | 346 |
| Teams | |
| |
| Career highlights and awards | |
Early life
Cortés was born in Surgidero de Batabanó, Cuba. When he was seven months old, his father, Nestor Cortés Sr., won the visa lottery, and they relocated to the United States in the city of Hialeah, Florida.[3] His father had been sentenced to one year in prison after a failed attempt to defect from Cuba in 1992. Nestor Sr. met his wife, Yuslaidy, the following year.[4]
Cortés started playing baseball at the age of four.[3] His father took him to see the Florida Marlins of Major League Baseball play at Pro Player Stadium in Miami Gardens.[4]
Career
Cortés attended Hialeah High School in Hialeah, Florida. He committed to play college baseball at Florida International University.[5]
New York Yankees
The New York Yankees selected him in the 36th round of the 2013 MLB draft.[6] He signed with the Yankees, receiving an $85,000 signing bonus,[7] and made his professional debut that year with the Gulf Coast Yankees of the Rookie-level Gulf Coast League, where he had a 0–1 win–loss record with a 4.42 earned run average (ERA) in 18+1⁄3 innings pitched. He returned there in 2014, going 1–2 with a 2.27 ERA in 11 games (two starts). Cortés spent 2015 with the Pulaski Yankees of the Rookie-level Appalachian League, where he compiled a 6–3 record with a 2.26 ERA in 12 games (ten starts). In 2016, he pitched for the Charleston RiverDogs of the Class A South Atlantic League, Tampa Yankees of the Class A-Advanced Florida State League, Trenton Thunder of the Class AA Eastern League, and the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders of the Class AAA International League, pitching to a combined 11–4 record with a 1.53 ERA in 21 games (12 starts). Cortés played 2017 with Tampa, Trenton, and the RailRiders.[8] where he was 7–4 with a 2.06 ERA in 30 games (13 starts).[9]
Baltimore Orioles
The Baltimore Orioles selected Cortés from the Yankees organization in the 2017 Rule 5 draft.[10] With the Orioles, Cortés competed for a spot on the Orioles' Opening Day roster as either a starting pitcher or relief pitcher.[11][12][13] He made the Orioles' Opening Day roster in 2018 as a relief pitcher,[14] and made his major league debut on March 31.[15] Cortés allowed a grand slam to Josh Reddick on April 3, and then a walk with the bases loaded to Curtis Granderson followed by a grand slam by Josh Donaldson on April 9.[16] The Orioles designated Cortés for assignment the next day.[17]
New York Yankees (second stint)
On April 13, 2018, the Orioles returned Cortes to the Yankees.[18] He played in one game for Trenton before returning to Scranton/Wilkes-Barre, combining for a 6–6 record and a 3.68 ERA in 24 games.[19] After the regular season, Cortes played for the Estrellas Orientales of the Dominican Winter League, where he learned how to throw a cut fastball.[20]
The Yankees invited Cortés to spring training as a non-roster player in 2019.[21] He did not make the team and was assigned to Scranton/Wilkes-Barre. The Yankees promoted him to the major leagues on May 9. On June 15, he earned his first major league win, striking out seven batters, and allowing two earned runs in five innings.[22] On June 21, 2019, he was optioned to Triple-A with Aaron Judge coming off the injured list.[citation needed] He was 5–1 with an ERA of 5.67 in 33 games.[23]
Seattle Mariners
On November 25, 2019, Cortes was traded to the Seattle Mariners in exchange for international bonus pool money.[24] In 2020, Cortes gave up 13 runs over 7+2⁄3 innings pitched. On October 22, 2020, Cortes was outrighted off of the 40-man roster after he was activated from the 60-day disabled list, and elected free agency.[25]
New York Yankees (third stint)
On December 20, 2020, Cortes signed a minor league contract to return to the New York Yankees organization.[26] The Yankees promoted Cortes to the major leagues on May 30, 2021.[27] Throughout the 2021 season Cortes became a favorite of Yankees fans, as his signature mustache, along with his unique style of pitching and many productive appearances garnered him much praise, along with the moniker "Nasty Nestor."[28] He finished the year with 93 innings pitched over 22 games (14 started) to go along with a 2.90 ERA and 103 strikeouts.[23]
Cortes began the 2022 season in the Yankees starting rotation.[29] Cortes threw an immaculate inning against the Orioles on April 16, 2022.[30] Against the Texas Rangers on May 9, Cortes pitched 7+1⁄3 innings before allowing his first hit.[31] 2022 saw the first All-Star Game appearance for Cortes, where in the bottom of the sixth inning, he registered two strikeouts, a hit by pitch, and a walk in an inning pitched.[32] In November 2022, it was announced that Cortes intended to represent Team USA in the World Baseball Classic in March 2023.
Player profile
Cortés throws a four-seam fastball that averages approximately 91 miles per hour (146 km/h). He also throws a cutter, slider, changeup and a less common curveball.[33][34] His curveball has been registered as slow as 47 miles per hour (76 km/h).[8]
Cortés hides the ball well in his wind-up, which helps to alleviate the problems presented by his shorter frame. When throwing a slider or curveball, his arm angle is slightly lower than his four-seam fastball.[citation needed]
Cortés also employs trickery in his wind-up to throw hitters off. He sometimes varies his step timing and sometimes pauses and rocks back and forth in the middle of his wind-up, and occasionally abbreviates his wind-up and releases the ball very quickly.
See also
References
- ^ December 1994
- ^ "Nestor Cortes Stats". Baseball-Reference.com. Retrieved June 3, 2022.
- ^ a b "El cubano Néstor Cortés llegará muy pronto a Grandes Ligas" (in Spanish). Cibercuba.com. December 29, 2017. Retrieved September 8, 2018.
- ^ a b "A Yankees Father's Day story: How Nestor Cortes' dad went to prison for his freedom and ended up with a major-league star". nj.com. June 19, 2022. Retrieved June 19, 2022.
- ^ "Nestor Cortes – Player Profile | Perfect Game USA". Perfectgame.org. Retrieved September 8, 2018.
- ^ "2013 Draft: Yankees agree to sign 36th rounder Nestor Cortes – River Avenue Blues". Riveraveblues.com. July 12, 2013. Retrieved March 25, 2018.
- ^ "The tale of 'Nasty Nestor' Cortes and his magic mustache". June 8, 2022.
- ^ a b Donnie Collins (August 17, 2017). "Collins: RailRiders' Cortes worth watching. – Sports". The Times-Tribune. Retrieved March 25, 2018.
- ^ "Nestor Cortes Stats, Highlights, Bio". MiLB.com. Retrieved June 12, 2018.
- ^ "Orioles select three pitchers, two from Yankees, in Rule 5 draft". Baltimore Sun. Retrieved March 25, 2018.
- ^ Ghiroli, Brittany (January 20, 2016). "Orioles' Nestor Cortes vying for rotation". MLB.com. Retrieved March 25, 2018.
- ^ "Orioles Rule 5 pick Nestor Cortes Jr. relishing chance to make final impression Sunday". Baltimore Sun. February 27, 2018. Retrieved March 25, 2018.
- ^ "Orioles Rule 5 pick Nestor Cortes Jr. continues to make case for roster spot". Baltimore Sun. Retrieved March 25, 2018.
- ^ "For Orioles experiencing first Opening Day, Thursday marks culmination of lifelong dreams". Baltimore Sun. Retrieved April 14, 2018.
- ^ "Orioles' Rule 5 relievers Cortes and Araujo hold their own in major league debuts". Baltimore Sun. April 5, 2018. Retrieved April 14, 2018.
- ^ "Disaster repeats itself for Orioles Rule 5 pick Nestor Cortes Jr. in loss to Toronto". Baltimore Sun. April 5, 2018. Retrieved April 14, 2018.
- ^ MLBRosterMoves (April 10, 2018). "MLBRosterMoves on Twitter: ".@Orioles recall RHP Yefry Ramirez from Triple-A Norfolk; designate LHP Nestor Cortes Jr. for assignment."". Twitter.com. Retrieved April 14, 2018.
- ^ "Orioles return Rule 5 Draft pick Nestor Cortes to Yankees – River Avenue Blues". Riveraveblues.com. April 14, 2018. Retrieved April 14, 2018.
- ^ "Cortes puts RailRiders on brink of Finals". MiLB.com. September 3, 2006. Retrieved September 8, 2018.
- ^ "Yankees starter Nestor Cortés Jr. Mastering the not-so-fast fastball".
- ^ Dykstra, Sam (February 1, 2019). "Yankees invite Florial to spring camp". MiLB.com. Retrieved February 3, 2019.
- ^ Miller, Randy (May 9, 2019). "Yankees farm out Jake Barrett, summon Nestor Cortes Jr. over Chad Green". NJ.com. Retrieved May 11, 2019.
- ^ a b "Underdog Cortes proving '21 was no fluke". MLB.com.
- ^ Ryan Chatelain (November 25, 2019). "Yankees Trade Nestor Cortes Jr. To Seattle". WFAN. Retrieved November 25, 2019.
- ^ "Matt Magill, Carl Edwards Jr., Nestor Cortes Jr. Elect Free Agency".
- ^ Adams, Steve (December 21, 2020). "Yankees Sign Nestor Cortes Jr". MLB Trade Rumors. Retrieved July 6, 2021.
- ^ Franco, Anthony (May 30, 2021). "Yankees Select Nestor Cortes Jr". MLB Trade Rumors. Retrieved July 6, 2021.
- ^ Taylor, Emma (August 10, 2021). "Five reasons why we love Nestor Cortes Jr". Pinstripe Alley. Retrieved September 3, 2021.
- ^ "Yankees' Nestor Cortes plans on doing it his way again after shutting up critics in breakout 2021". April 12, 2022.
- ^ "New York Yankees' Nestor Cortes pitches immaculate inning, strikes out 12 batters in five innings". ESPN.com. April 17, 2022. Retrieved April 18, 2022.
- ^ "Cortes Loses No-Hit Bid in 8th, but Yankees Rally to Win". The New York Times. May 9, 2022.
- ^ "2022 All-Star Game Box Score, July 19". Baseball-Reference.com. Retrieved August 3, 2022.
- ^ Cicere, Nick (January 9, 2018). "Rule 5 pick Nestor Cortes could be competing for an Orioles rotation spot". Camden Chat. Retrieved March 25, 2018.
- ^ "Nestor Cortes Statcast, Visuals & Advanced Metrics | MLB.com". baseballsavant.com. Retrieved April 1, 2022.
External links
- Career statistics and player information from MLB, or ESPN, or Baseball Reference, or Fangraphs, or Baseball Reference (Minors), or Retrosheet