New York Yankees pitcher Nestor Cortes has become something of a cult hero among fans and teammates thanks to his unorthodox windup and delivery.
Nestor Cortes made his much-anticipated start in the New York Yankees’ recent game against the Philadelphia Phillies. The nasty Nestor summed up the day with three strikeouts in 80 pitchers over the five innings, allowing seven hits and one run. While he credited the Phillies hitters for forcing him to throw the ball all over the plate, the pitcher left quite satisfied with the effort.
The highly impressive debut of Nestor Cortes is a positive omen for the New York Yankees, who nearly lost the pitcher for the entire season to a hamstring injury. Nestor did mindful thinking and skipped the WBC at the last moment to get healthy in time for the MLB season. Despite missing a large chunk of spring training, the pitcher looked comfortable on the mound.
Yankees Bullpen Try Hands At Nestor Cortes’ Animated Windup, Receives Epic Response From The Pitcher
Nestor Cortes has become a fan favourite since arriving in New York in 2021. His iconic moustache, accompanied by nasty throws and an animated unusual windup action, caught the attention of the fans and made him the most loved figure in the New York Yankees organization. Cortes’ delivery involves a series of exaggerated movements, including a high leg kick, a dramatic pause, and a twisting motion. While some pitchers might shy away from such a unique action, Cortes has fully embraced it, and his success on the mound speaks for itself.
Now, it seems that some of his teammates are trying to get in on the fun. A recent video posted on social media shows several Yankees players attempting to imitate Nestor Cortes’ windup. In the access tunnel, several players, including Gerrit Cole, Gleyber Torres and Aaron Judge, made an attempt to imitate the pitcher’s windup action and failed miserably. On the other hand, Cortes watched his teammate’s shenanigans on the sidelines. He said he initially felt embarrassed by was happy with the end result. Overall, it was a nice fun moment before the team made their way towards the field to take on the Phillies in the second series of the season.
Cortes’ Athletic Play In Field Woos The Crowd
Nestor Cortes registered a perfect start in Monday’s game against the Phillies. But, it was his field play that caught the fan’s attention. During the fifth inning, Phillies catcher Realmuto struck a hit to the right and ran to steal a single. Yankees’ debutant Franchy Cordero stationed in the right, threw the ball to Jose Trevino at the home plate. However, the ball flew over Jose’s head.
Just then, Nestor Cortes displayed a high level of game sense. He rushed to back up Trevino behind the plate and caught the ball in time. He fired the throw to the third base and registered the final out. That marked the end of the Phillies’ inning, with the Yankees taking home a commanding 8-1 victory. Moreover, the fans absolutely loved the field play and hailed the pitcher for the same.