Aggies Lose Pitcher Chris Cortez To Transfer Portal
Two years ago, Chris Cortez was viewed as a potential Ace for Texas A&M baseball. Now, he's looking back in the rearview mirror while looking for a new home.
Cortez elected to enter the transfer portal Thursday after two seasons in College Station. The news was first reported by D1Baseball.com and later confirmed by a team source per the Bryan-College Station Eagle. He will have two years of eligibility remaining with his next team after joining the Aggies in 2022.
Known for his high-heating fastball, Cortez posted a 3-1 record with a 7.34 ERA in 2023. The right-hander excelled with the heat, posting a fastball that consistently ran in the high 90s and even reached triple digits on more than one occasion.
Secondary pitches were a struggle for Cortez to master. So was his command. Last season in 41.2 innings pitched, Cortez issued 41 walks against with 39 strikeouts and posted a 2.06 WHIP, second-highest on the team behind fellow sophomore Robert Hogan (3.13).
A native of Las Vegas, Cortez could head west for his next destination, potentially joining a program in the Mountain West or Pac-12. His fastball speed ranked top 10 among qualified pitchers in the SEC. He also has experience as a starter and reliever, recording seven starts as part of A&M's weekend rotation over the previous two seasons.
Pitching as a whole for A&M was a concern in 2023. The Aggies posted a team ERA of 5.66 with 633 strikeouts against 591 hits allowed. Schlossnagle also consistently switched up his No. 2 and No. 3 pitchers in the weekend rotation behind junior Nathan Dettmer, making 12 changes during the regular season.
Cortez likely would have been in the running for a spot in the weekend rotation next season. Dettmer, who closed out the season with a quality outing against No. 8 Stanford in the Stanford Regional, could be selected in Sunday's MLB Draft. Freshmen Justin Lampkin and Shane Sdao, along with rising junior Troy Wansing, look like the favorites for the opening entering summer workouts.
With Cortez's departure, the Aggies have lost eight players to the portal this offseason following their exit from the Stanford Regional last month. Others leaving the program include catcher JD Greyson, outfielder Stanley Tucker, pitcher Wyatt Tucker, pitcher Jaren Warwick, pitcher Max Debiec, pitcher Lucas Kelley and Hogan.
Schlossnagle, who enters his third offseason with the program, has been agressive in upgrading his roster through the transfer portal. In June, the Aggies picked up the commitment of Fairfield third baseman and 2023 MAAC Player of the Year Charlie Pagliarini.
A&M has also added seven other prospects, including infielder Ali Camarillo (CSUN), infielder Ted Burton (Michigan), catcher Jackson Appel (Penn), outfielder Hayden Schott (Columbia), pitcher Tanner Jones (Jacksonville State), pitcher Zane Badmaev (Tarleton) and pitcher Eldridge Armstrong (San Diego State).
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