Unbelievable: “They want to be us.” Yankees starter fires back at critics.
Nestor Cortes, the starting pitcher for the Yankees, is at breaking point.
The Yankees are one game behind the Orioles, whom they almost swept before the All-Star break, and lead the American League with 58 victories, second in MLB. Nevertheless, after going 8-17 since June 15—the second-worst record in baseball during that time—New York has drawn a lot of criticism.
After hearing enough criticism during Tuesday’s All-Star game, Cortes decided to move on.
Cortes stated on X/Twitter, “Everyone talks down about the Yanks but they wanna be us.” The ability to wear pinstripes is a privilege. We are in contention each year. I consider myself fortunate to be able to fight for a postseason berth and to be a strong candidate in the end.
Cortes has pitched deeper into games this season and has played with a chip on his shoulder. Since moving up to the major leagues full-time in 2022, he has averaged more innings per start (5.75 IP/GS) than he has ever done. His 1.12 WHIP and 3.67 ERA are both higher than they were during the previous campaign.
However, with Carlos Rodon and Marcus Stroman underperforming and Clarke Schmidt on the injured list, the Yankees are still looking for a starting pitcher at the trade deadline. One such starter who is reportedly of interest is Tarik Skubal of the Tigers, but according to Jon Heyman of The New York Post, New York lacks the necessary assets to pull off a transaction of this magnitude.
A more practical course of action for the Yankees would be to bide their time until the club, which for nearly half the season was the greatest in the world (they finished with an MLB-best 50-22 record through June 14th), finds its groove once more.
