Nestor Cortes on being “kind of funky” part of Yankees rotation

Nestor Cortes sits in front of his locker inside the New York Yankees clubhouse. As members of the media pepper the nearby Miguel Andujar with questions after he was called up to replace Aaron Hicks (paternity list) on the active roster, Cortes is busy preparing for a day in between starts.

The moment is somewhat symbolic when it comes to Cortes, who often seems overlooked on a New York Yankees pitching staff that has plenty of power and bigger name recognition.

“I think it’s a great compliment to be honest,” Cortes said of his role with the Yankees. “You know, you’ll have J-Mo (Jordan Montgomery), who throws anywhere from 90 to 96. And then you have me, that, you know, lefty, kind of funky and low speed. Then you have Gerrit (Cole) behind me throwing 100, so I feel like if you face us in a series, it will be tough to adjust to just one pitcher.”

Nestor Cortes fitting his role in the New York Yankees rotation perfectly

Now in his second season as a member of the New York rotation, Cortes has been a solid contributor early in the 2022 campaign. Through his first three starts, the 27-year-old southpaw has allowed just seven hits in 15.2 innings of work, helping him to a 1.15 ERA/1.27 FIP/0.638 WHIP.

Part of the early success can be attributed to a new cutter that he has worked into his arsenal. According to The New York Post, when Cortes struck out 12 Baltimore Orioles in five innings of work on April 17, eight were finished off by the cutter. Those strikeouts, by the way, included an immaculate inning where Cortes needed just nine pitches to strike out the side.

The new pitch and the early success Cortes has found with it has been a buzz among Yankees fans, but Cortes said the effectiveness comes from both the pitch and how he uses it.

“I think it’s just a traditional pitch for everybody, but with the deception that I have, it’s certainly gotten a lot more attention,” Cortes said.

And that deception has become a big part of why Cortes describes himself as “funky” when he pitches. He’s been called a “trickster” on the mound, and Cortes says he has embraced a style of pitching that keeps batters on their toes.

“It’s something I got into a few years ago,” Cortes explained. “So far, it’s worked. It plays a big part of who I am and what kind of pitcher I am. Hopefully I can continue to use it and have success with it.”

On a team filled with big names and big contracts, Cortes is fine flying under the radar and making an impact for the Yankees every five days, especially if he can add a successful new trick into his continuing range of mischief on the mound.