The New York Yankees entered the field on Wednesday needing just one win to punch their ticket to the postseason. On the mound, they had left-handed Nestor Cortes with a chip on his shoulder.
He was the first Yankees starter to be sent to the bullpen for one turn once things got crowded due to the return of Clarke Schmidt and Luis Gil from injury. And he took it personally.
Since that moment, Cortes has been on an impressive run and delivered yet another excellent start on Wednesday against the Seattle Mariners. He surrendered no runs in six innings of work, allowing just four hits and three walks. He also struck out six Mariners and looked in complete control during the entire start.
Cortes has been an asset for the Yankees
Cortes keeps silencing the critics and those who say he has no place in the Yankees rotation. His season ERA is down to a fine 3.77 and his WHIP is an excellent 1.15.
If we count his long relief appearance against the Chicago Cubs on September 7, the talented and funky southpaw has conceded just one earned run in his last 15.1 innings, with 18 strikeouts over that span.
The Yankees rotation has been magnificent in September, and Cortes is a big reason why. Even when he made it clear he didn’t like being sent to the bullpen, he was a professional and never ceased to give his all every time he stepped on the mound.
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With his combination of durability (he has, after all, pitched an impressive 174.1 frames, by far a career-high), effectiveness, and funky style, he has been an asset for the Yankees.
Right now, there is no question that Cortes is one of the best three Yankees starters heading to the postseason. Does that mean he will get starts in the first playoff series? No one knows and it’s still premature to talk about, but he certainly deserves them.
