Nestor Cortes AL Cy Young Odds: New York Yankees Breakout Star Creates AL Cy Young Odds Shift
Nestor Cortes AL Cy Young Odds: New York Yankees Breakout Star Creates AL Cy Young Odds Shift
The New York Yankees have the best record in baseball nearly one-third of the way into the 2022 season with a 36-15 record. One of the most important contributors to the Yankees' early success has been 27-year-old starting pitcher Nestor Cortes. "Nasty" Nestor is quickly becoming a fan favorite in the Bronx and his performance on the mound is one of the biggest stories in MLB to this point. Not only is his mustache remarkable but his numbers are too. He finds himself surging up the American League Cy Young odds.
AL Cy Young Odds
| Odds | Pitcher | Implied Chance |
|---|---|---|
| +475 | Justin Verlander | 17.4% |
| +700 | Gerrit Cole | 12.5% |
| +800 | Nestor Cortes | 11.1% |
| +1000 | Kevin Gausman | 9.1% |
| +1200 | Alek Manoah | 7.7% |
| +1400 | Shane McClanahan | 6.7% |
| +2000 | Dylan Cease | 4.8% |
| +2500 | Shane Bieber | 3.8% |
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As expected, the top of the American League Cy Young odds are superstars Justin Verlander and Nestor's teammate Gerrit Cole. These names are who we'd expect in this position. Nestor Cortes though is not a household name. Verlander is priced at +475 implying a 17.4% chance of winning the AL Cy Young. Currently, Verlander has 10 starts with a 6-2 record, a 2.23 ERA, 61 strikeouts, 64.2 innings pitched, and a 0.80 WHIP.
Nestor Cortes AL Cy Young Odds
According to oddsmakers, Nestor Cortes is currently given +800 odds or an 11.1% chance of winning the AL Cy Young. Nestor's statistics are even stronger than Verlander's and Cole's to this point. Cortes has 10 starts, a 5-1 record, a 1.50 ERA, 68 strikeouts, 60 innings pitched, and a 0.87 WHIP. The incredible part of this is he wasn't even priced in AL Cy Young odds by oddsmakers at the start of the season. On April 25 he was finally given +5000 odds and has seen the biggest move by any starting pitcher on the board.
Nestor Cortes is the best pitcher in the American League right now and is likely headed to his first All-Star game in July. His 1.50 ERA trails only Martin Perez of the Rangers.
His steadfast determination to get to this point is a story in itself. His family immigrated from Cuba to the United States via the Visa lottery before his first birthday. He grew up and pitched in Miami, Florida. Cortes was a 36th-round pick by the Yankees in 2013 and he played the role of a relief lefty early in his career. He was selected by the Orioles in the Rule 5 draft before the 2018 season, only to be returned to New York in April. He was then traded by the Yankees to Seattle in November 2019 in exchange for international bonus pool money. In 2020, Cortes gave up 13 runs over 7+2⁄3 innings pitched. On October 22, 2020, Cortes was outrighted off of the 40-man roster and elected free agency.
In January 2021 he re-signed with the Yankees for the third time in his career. He made 22 appearances and 14 starts in 2021 posting a 2.90 ERA and adding 103 strikeouts across 93 innings. His breakout has solidified the Yankees starting rotation headlined by Gerrit Cole.
Nestor Cortes's cutter is his best pitch and it produces the lowest batting average against in MLB. Opponents are hitting just .149 against his cutter. This is ahead of reigning NL Cy Young Award winner Corbin Burnes’ .207 batting average against. The cutter leads MLB in strikeout percentage at 30% and third in swing and miss percentage at 26.3%!
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