Nestor Cortes Jr. can’t seem to shake his World Series disaster. Therefore, the Yankees fans are ensuring he never forgets it. Months after being traded to the Milwaukee Brewers, Cortes remains a target for relentless criticism. Fans still blame him for the Yankees’ downfall against the Dodgers. The moment that sealed his fate? A brutal showdown with Freddie Freeman that turned the tide of the series—and, ultimately, his career in New York.

Game 3 of the 2024 World Series was supposed to be Cortes’ chance to redeem himself. Instead, it became a nightmare. The Yankees, already down 2-0 in the series, needed a spark. What they got was a meltdown. With two outs and runners on, Freeman stepped up and demolished a middle-in cutter, sending it deep into the right-field seats at Yankee Stadium.

Social media erupted with brutal takes. “This guy single-handedly handed the Dodgers the title,” one fan posted. Others flooded his Instagram with comments that ranged from sarcastic jabs to outright insults. It didn’t help that the Yankees, looking to reshape their rotation, shipped him to Milwaukee in December.

The Brewers’ recent post celebrating their pitching staff only reignited the firestorm. When Milwaukee highlighted their rotation’s potential, Yankees fans flooded the comments, mocking the idea that Cortes could be a difference-maker. The post, intended to hype up a fresh season, instead, became an unintended reminder of his struggles.

Many saw the trade as an unspoken admission of how the team had lost faith in him. But even now in a Brewers uniform, Cortes can’t escape the backlash. Every time his name pops up online, Yankees fans resurface the clip of Freeman’s home run like a battle scar that refuses to heal. Any Brewers-related post about him? Instantly hijacked by Yankee diehards eager to remind him of his worst moment.

Cortes, to his credit, has taken it in stride. He’s acknowledged the rough outing, saying he “wishes things had gone differently,” but he’s not dwelling on the past. The Brewers are giving him a fresh start, a chance to silence his critics and prove he’s more than just a viral failure.

Yankees fans keep the heat on Nestor Cortes Jr.!

The comment expressed disbelief at how a single bad pitch—in this case, the home run Nestor Cortes Jr. gave up to Freddie Freeman in the World Series—led to such severe consequences. “Isn’t it crazy how with just 1 pitch you can be sent to another team. 😭” The crying emoji suggests a mix of humor and sympathy, implying that this one mistake was so costly it resulted in Cortes being traded to another team (the Brewers). It highlights how unforgiving baseball can be, especially in high-stakes moments.

This commenter used clever wordplay on Freddie Freeman’s name and Nestor Cortes Jr.’s trade. “Threw that same pitch to Freddie and the Yankees said you’re a “free man.” It implies that after Cortes threw the same disastrous pitch to Freeman in the World Series, the Yankees decided to “free” him—meaning they traded him away. The joke works by linking Freeman’s name with the idea that the Yankees saw the mistake as unforgivable and cut ties with Cortes as a result.

One critic mocked Nestor Cortes Jr. by suggesting he intentionally went to the Brewers after his World Series failure with the Yankees. It’s a team the commenter believes has no chance of making it to the World Series. “He blew it in the World Series so he decided to go to the one team that he knows will never make it to the World Series.” The implication is that Cortes chose Milwaukee to avoid the pressure of another high-stakes postseason moment. It’s a mix of criticism toward Cortes for his subpar performance and a dig at the Brewers’ perceived lack of championship potential.

Another user sarcastically praised Nestor Cortes Jr.’s pitching while mocking his ability to place the ball exactly where Freddie Freeman wanted it last year. “Amazing ball control, just how you controlled that ball right into where Freddie was looking.” It highlights that instead of using his control to his advantage, Cortes essentially served up a perfect pitch for Freeman to crush. The tone is humorous and critical, emphasizing how costly that mistake was in the World Series.

This comment is a furious rant aimed at Nestor Cortes Jr., blaming him for a costly mistake in the World Series. The commenter is frustrated that he failed to execute under pressure, questioning why he misplaced a pitch that led to a grand slam. They sarcastically dismiss his pitching accuracy in low-stakes situations, implying that it’s meaningless if he can’t perform when it matters most.

“Really?!?! So why the EFF DID YOU THROW A PITCH TO THE WRONG LOCATION A GIVE AN EFFIN GRANDSLAM?!!!!! WHO CARE HOW ACCURATE YOU ARE WITHOUT PRESSURE. TALK TO MARIONO RIVERA before you pitch in a big game next time if there is a next time.” The reference to Mariano Rivera suggests Cortes should learn from the Yankees legend, on how to handle big moments. The final line, “If there is a next time,” casts doubt on whether he’ll ever get another shot in such a crucial game.

This Yankee fan ridiculed Nestor Cortes Jr. for making history in the worst way—giving up the only game-winning grand slam in World Series history. They further point out how the Yankees responded by trading him to the Brewers, implying it was a fitting consequence. “Only game-winning grand slam EVER giving up in World Series history..they sent you to the Brewers..I would have sent you to the “Island of Misfit Toys.” The reference to the Island of Misfit Toys (from Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer) suggests that Cortes was so unreliable after his blunder that he didn’t just deserve a trade—he should’ve been sent somewhere for players who don’t belong in high-stakes games. It’s a mix of humor and brutal criticism, implying his mistake was unforgettable.

Still, in the unforgiving world of Yankees baseball, redemption isn’t given—it’s earned. And until Cortes delivers a moment big enough to erase his World Series nightmare, the trolling isn’t stopping anytime soon.