Nestor Cortes was a free agent after 2020 and returned to the Yankees due to his lackluster performance. With only 14 starts and 22 appearances in 2021, he went 2-3 with a 2.90 ERA, seemingly out of nowhere, and became an important part of the squad.
At 103/25, he had a stellar K/W ratio. While most of his 93 innings came during an injury-ravaged season for the Yankees, his participation was an absolute godsend.
When the Yankees’ starting rotation was decimated by injuries in 2022, he was thrust into the starting role, and his first two outings were excellent:
He gave up just one run in a 4-0 win over the Toronto Blue Jays on April 12th, and then he threw a career-high 12 strikeouts and walked just one in a 5-0 win over the Baltimore Orioles on April 17th.
His perfect performance came in the game’s 4th inning, when he struck out the side on nine pitches to end it. In the end, he was left with no decision as the Yankees fell to a 5-0 defeat in the late innings.
For the final eight innings of a 1-0 victory over the Texas Rangers on May 9, he came dangerously close to throwing the first no-hitter of his career.
When Eli White hit a one-out single, Nestor was taken out of the game and ended up with another no-decision because the game was still scoreless at this point (the Yankees scored their lone run in the bottom of the 8th, gifting the win to Clay Holmes).
The Chicago White Sox were shut out over eight innings on May 15th, giving him the American League lead in earned run average at 1.35.
On May 26th, he proceeded to cement his legend with another amazing performance, pitching into the ninth inning for the first time in his career in a 7-2 win over the Tampa Bay Rays.
What Is Nestor Cortes Nationality?
Nestor Cortes is a Cuban-American.