When New York Yankees starter Nestor Cortes had a 2.90 ERA in 93 innings in 2021, very few people actually believed he had any staying power.
Most believed it was a fluke, and some thought that there could be something there but he needed to do it again in 2022 to prove himself.
After all, he had been dismissed by the Yankees, the Baltimore Orioles, and the Seattle Mariners in the past.
But there is something about Nestor that makes one want to pull for him.
He has turned doubters into fans: only the truly great, determined players can manage to do that.
And he did that on the mound, with his performance.
This year, he finished with a 2.44 ERA in 158.1 innings of work, including 163 strikeouts.
He made the All-Star Game and was in consideration to start Game 1 of the American League Division Series against the Cleveland Guardians.
He will get Game 2 instead, which is still a huge responsibility.
Cortes Was Able To Prove Himself As A Legitimate MLB Pitcher
There was much skepticism about Cortes and his ability to succeed because he is not a flamethrower and he doesn’t have the prototypical pitcher’s body.
He doesn’t look athletic, and his fastball tops at 93-94 mph.
“’He looks like you and I. You feel like you can probably do what he does. You can’t.’ – Aaron Boone, to me, about Nestor Cortes,” Yankees insider Bryan Hoch tweeted.
“He looks like you and I. You feel like you can probably do what he does. You can’t.” – Aaron Boone, to me, about Nestor Cortes
— Bryan Hoch (@BryanHoch) October 12, 2022
But he put in the work, optimized his fastball, added a very good cutter, and learned how to pitch, not just to throw.
He has impeccable command and good stuff, and together with his strong mind, that’s enough for him to succeed and be the best version of himself.
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