Nestor Cortes Jr. is in a league of his own. When the 2022 regular season kicked off, not many expected him to shine from the mound. From being a 36th-round pick by the New York Yankees to getting released and then developing into the best pitching option for the Pinstripes, Nestor Cortes Jr. has come a long way.
There is a saying that being underestimated is the greatest competitive edge. It sums up the current season of Nestor. Whenever Nestor has started from the mound, he has never delivered a poor performance for the Yankees. In a recent game against the LA Angels, Nestor dominated one of the best hitters in MLB, Mike Trout.
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With pitchers like Gerrit Cole and Luis Severino on the same team, it is difficult to outshine them and become the first choice pitching option for a team as big as the Yankees. What makes Nestor more special is his humbleness and consistency in the game. He has been nothing but a blessing for the Yankees this season.
Nestor Cortes Jr. is the best story of the season
With each game passing, the respect for Nestor Cortes Jr. has only been growing among fans. The ongoing season is far from over, and he has already become a fan favorite. The Yankees ace deserves every ounce of praise for the performance he has been putting on the mound.
Just like his previous games, Nestor put a show from the mound against the LA Angels on Friday. Whether it was Shohei Ohtani or Mike Trout, he dominated the Angels the entire game.
Taking to social media, MLB fans could not resist and praise Nestor for his masterclass against the Angels.
Death, taxes, and Nestor Cortes masterclass’
— yankeestribune (@yankees_tribune) June 2, 2022
Nestor Cortes is the upside down version of Joba Chamberlain pic.twitter.com/o0yfey2ve2
— Layman GM (@laymanGM) June 2, 2022
One Instagram user even said him the best player in baseball when he struck out Mike Trout, while, on Twitter, fans have already declared him the Cy Young Award winner. One fan even called him a better pitcher than Shohei Ohtani.
Better than Ohtani
— nyyplswin (@nyyplswin) June 2, 2022
It’s weird to think how Nestor Cortes was in Triple A at one point last season and now is arguably the AL CY Young award front runner.
— Mike Carbone (@MikeCarboneJr) June 2, 2022
A Twitter user explained that one does not need to have the excess speed to become a good pitcher. “An excellent example of how “pitching” still works…you don’t have to throw 100 mph to be successful. Change speeds… locate, be deceptive…pitch,” said the tweet.
and an excellent example of how "pitching" still works….you don't have to throw 100 mph to be successful. Change speeds…locate, be deceptive….pitch.
— blake (@bbqbaseball62) June 2, 2022
No Stress, Nes 👏 pic.twitter.com/qkzMYx2oJK
— New York Yankees (@Yankees) June 2, 2022
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Nestor pitched through seven innings against the Angels and had seven strikeouts in the game. He did not concede a single run in the game. With this, the Yankees ace has the second-best ERA (1.50) in the entire MLB this season.
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Given his performance, do you think Nestor Cortes Jr. is the top contender for the Cy Young Award this season?