Nestor Cortes Jr. Bio
Nestor Cortes Jr., nicknamed “Nasty Nestor,” is a Cuban-American professional baseball pitcher who is currently a free agent. He has played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Baltimore Orioles, New York Yankees, Seattle Mariners, Milwaukee Brewers, and San Diego Padres, establishing himself as a crafty left-handed starter known for his unorthodox mechanics and competitive edge. Cortes earned his first All-Star selection in 2022 and remains a recognizable figure across the league for his signature mustache, varied pitching arsenal, and ability to keep hitters off balance.
Across his MLB career, Cortes has posted a 35–25 win–loss record with a 3.94 earned run average (ERA) and 604 strikeouts through the 2025 season. He has built a reputation as a dependable mid-rotation arm and a fan favorite, particularly during his multi-year run with the New York Yankees.
Early Life and Background
Nestor Cortes Jr. was born on December 10, 1994, in Surgidero de Batabanó, Cuba. His father, Nestor Cortes Sr., had been sentenced to one year in prison after a failed attempt to defect from Cuba in 1992. When Nestor Jr. was about seven months old, his father won the visa lottery, and the family relocated to the United States, settling in Hialeah, Florida.
Cortes’s father drove a forklift, while his mother, Yuslaidy, worked as a manicurist. The young Cortes started playing baseball at the age of four, and his father introduced him to Major League Baseball by taking him to see the Florida Marlins play at Pro Player Stadium in Miami Gardens. He attended Hialeah High School, where he developed into a promising left-handed pitcher before committing to play college baseball at Florida International University.
Path to Professional Baseball
Cortes signed with the New York Yankees after being selected in the 36th round of the 2013 MLB draft, receiving an $85,000 signing bonus. He made his professional debut that year with the Gulf Coast League Yankees of the Rookie-level Gulf Coast League and steadily climbed the minor-league ladder through the Pulaski Yankees, Charleston RiverDogs, Tampa Yankees, Trenton Thunder, and the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders. By 2016, he was posting an 11–4 record with a 1.53 ERA across multiple affiliates, and he finished 2017 with a combined 2.06 ERA between Tampa, Trenton, and the RailRiders.
After the 2017 season, the Baltimore Orioles selected Cortes from the Yankees organization in the Rule 5 draft, setting the stage for his major-league debut. During that offseason, while playing for Estrellas Orientales of the Dominican Professional Baseball League, Cortes learned how to throw a cut fastball, a pitch that would become an important part of his future arsenal.
Nestor Cortes Jr. Career
Early Career (2018)
Cortes made the Baltimore Orioles’ Opening Day roster in 2018 as a relief pitcher and made his major-league debut on March 31. His first taste of big-league action was rocky, as he allowed a grand slam to Josh Reddick on April 3, then walked Curtis Granderson with the bases loaded before giving up another grand slam to Josh Donaldson on April 9. The Orioles designated Cortes for assignment the next day, having allowed four runs on ten hits in just four games.
The Orioles returned Cortes to the Yankees on April 13, 2018. He bounced between Trenton and Scranton/Wilkes-Barre, combining for a 6–6 record and 3.68 ERA in 24 games, before heading to the Dominican Winter League to refine his pitching repertoire.
New York Yankees Breakthrough (2019–2022)
The Yankees invited Cortes to spring training as a non-roster player in 2019, and he made his major-league return for them on May 9. On June 15, he earned his first major-league win, striking out seven batters and allowing two earned runs in five innings. In 33 games that season, Cortes posted a 5–1 record with a 5.67 ERA, splitting time between New York and Triple-A as he continued to develop.
After a one-year detour in Seattle, Cortes signed a minor-league contract to return to the Yankees organization in December 2020. He was promoted to the majors on May 30, 2021, and quickly became a fan favorite, earning the “Nasty Nestor” moniker thanks to his signature mustache, unique pitching style, and competitive mound presence. He finished 2021 with 93 innings pitched across 22 appearances, a 2.90 ERA, and 103 strikeouts. The following season, he cemented his role in the Yankees’ starting rotation, throwing an immaculate inning against the Orioles on April 16, 2022, and pitching 7⅓ hitless innings against the Texas Rangers on May 9 before finally allowing a hit. He finished 2022 with a 12–4 record, a 2.44 ERA, and 158⅓ innings pitched across 28 games, earning his first All-Star selection.
Later Yankees Years (2023–2024)
Cortes opened 2023 in the Yankees’ rotation but struggled to a 5.16 ERA across 11 starts before a left rotator cuff strain sent him to the injured list on June 8. He returned briefly in August before the injury resurfaced, and he was transferred to the 60-day injured list in September, officially ending his season as the Yankees missed the postseason for the first time since 2016. He logged a 5–2 record with a 4.97 ERA and 67 strikeouts in 63⅓ innings over 12 starts.
With Gerrit Cole beginning 2024 on the injured list, the Yankees chose Cortes as their Opening Day starter. He responded with a 9–10 record and a 3.77 ERA in 31 games, ranking second on the team in innings pitched (174⅓) and third in strikeouts (162). A left elbow flexor strain in September kept him sidelined until the postseason, but the Yankees re-added him to the roster for the World Series. In Game 1, Cortes retired the first batter he faced in the 10th inning before allowing a walk-off grand slam to Freddie Freeman, sealing one of the most dramatic moments of his career.
Milwaukee Brewers and San Diego Padres Era (2025)
On December 13, 2024, the Yankees traded Cortes and Caleb Durbin to the Milwaukee Brewers for reliever Devin Williams. Cortes returned to Yankee Stadium on March 29 as a Brewer, where he received a warm ovation, but his first start was his worst to date: two innings, six hits, eight runs, and five walks in a 20–9 loss. He bounced back to earn his first win of the season on April 3 against the Cincinnati Reds, pitching six one-hit innings with six strikeouts in a 1–0 victory, but that proved to be his final outing with Milwaukee as an elbow injury sent him to the injured list.
On July 31, 2025, the Brewers traded Cortes, Jorge Quintana, and cash to the San Diego Padres for Brandon Lockridge. Cortes was activated off the injured list on August 3 and made six starts for San Diego, posting a 1–3 record with a 5.47 ERA and 21 strikeouts across 26⅓ innings. On October 16, the Padres announced that Cortes would miss nine to ten months after undergoing surgery to repair a tendon tear in his throwing arm, leaving him as a free agent entering the next league year.
Driving Style and Strengths
Cortes throws a four-seam fastball that averages approximately 91 miles per hour, complemented by a cutter, slider, changeup, and a curveball that has been registered as slow as 47 miles per hour. He hides the ball exceptionally well in his wind-up, easing the disadvantages of his shorter frame, and his arm angle drops slightly on breaking balls. Cortes frequently varies his step timing, pauses mid-wind-up, and occasionally abbreviates his delivery to throw hitters off balance, a crafty approach that has defined his identity as “Nasty Nestor.”
Notable Events and Milestones
Cortes has authored several signature moments, including his 2022 immaculate inning, his near no-hit bid against the Rangers that same season, his 2022 All-Star Game appearance, and his selection as the Yankees’ Opening Day starter in 2024. His walk-off grand slam allowed to Freddie Freeman in Game 1 of the 2024 World Series remains one of the defining images of his major-league tenure.
Nestor Cortes Jr. Career Wins
Through the 2025 season, Cortes has compiled a 35–25 win–loss record with a 3.94 ERA and 604 strikeouts across his MLB career. His first major-league win came on June 15, 2019, when he struck out seven batters in five innings against the Houston Astros, and his most recent verified regular-season victory came with the Brewers on April 3, 2025, when he tossed six one-hit innings against the Cincinnati Reds.
MLB Highlights
Cortes enjoyed his finest campaign in 2022, going 12–4 with a 2.44 ERA in 28 starts for the Yankees and earning an All-Star selection. He has consistently delivered against divisional opponents, including his 2019 first win, his 2021 turnaround as a fan favorite, his 2024 Opening Day start, and his steady work in both the Milwaukee and San Diego rotations in 2025.
Other Wins and Performances
Beyond his MLB tenure, Cortes posted an 11–4 record with a 1.53 ERA across multiple minor-league affiliates in 2016 and a 6–3 record with a 2.26 ERA in the Appalachian League in 2015, showcasing his growth through the Yankees’ farm system before reaching the majors.
Nestor Cortes Jr. Family
Family Background and Racing Lineage
Cortes’s parents, Nestor Cortes Sr. and Yuslaidy, met after his father was released from prison and won the visa lottery to bring the family from Cuba to Hialeah, Florida. His father worked as a forklift driver, while his mother worked as a manicurist, and their son credits them with instilling the discipline that shaped his pitching career.
Personal Life
Cortes became engaged to Alondra Esteras Russy following the 2022 MLB All-Star Game, and the couple married in November 2023. Their first son was born in 2025. Outside of baseball, Cortes is a longtime fan of horse racing, having attended races at the Hialeah Park Race Track as a youth. In 2023, he partnered with a Yankees equipment manager to purchase a harness racing horse.
2025 Season Performance
Cortes began 2025 with the Milwaukee Brewers after being traded from the Yankees in the Devin Williams deal. His debut outing at Yankee Stadium was a rough one, as he allowed eight runs over two innings in a 20–9 loss, but he rebounded with six strong innings against the Cincinnati Reds on April 3 to earn his first Brewers win. An elbow injury soon landed him on the 15-day injured list, sidelining him through the summer months.
Following his July 31 trade to the San Diego Padres, Cortes was activated on August 3 and made six starts down the stretch, going 1–3 with a 5.47 ERA and 21 strikeouts in 26⅓ innings. The season ended on a difficult note on October 16, when the Padres announced he would undergo surgery to repair a tendon tear in his throwing arm, sidelining him for nine to ten months and leaving him as a free agent entering 2026.
