2025 Fantasy Baseball: Nestor Cortes Profile, Preview, Predictions

New York Yankees Starting Pitcher Nestor Cortes | John Froschauer-Imagn Images

Even with a late-round ADP, a fantasy drafter can still give away a critical draft selection by investing in a disaster, injury arm. Nestor Cortes comes off an elbow issue, and the Yankees gift-wrapped him in a deal with the Brewers in December.

SP – Nestor Cortes, MLW (ADP – 258.9)

2025 Nestor Cortes Pitching Stats Profile | Shawn Childs

After a breakout season in 2022 (12-4 with a 2.44 ERA, 0.922 WHIP, and 163 strikeouts over 158.1 innings), Cortes missed most of the final four months of the following year with a left shoulder issue (rotator cuff). He finished 2023 with weakness in his ERA (4.97) while allowing 11 home runs over 63.1 innings.

Last year, Cortes gave the Yankees 30 starts, with an ERA under 3.90 every month except July (19 runs, 39 baserunners, six home runs, and 24 strikeouts over 24.1 innings). He allowed 22 of his 24 home runs to right-handed batters over 519 at-bats (.256 BAA). His arm offered success at home (3.11 ERA, 1.004 WHIP, and 83 strikeouts over 89.2 innings) but losing stats on the road (4.46 ERA and 1.311 WHIP).

His average fastball (92.0 – .227 BAA) was career-high, but it has been down in spring training (90.3 mph). Cortes features a cutter (.249 BAA) as his second-best pitch, followed by a slider (.279 BAA) and changeup (.226 BAA). He doesn’t throw his changeup to left-handed batters while having a wide range of outcomes with his cutter (.227/.393) and slider (.345/.196) to righties and lefties.

Fantasy Outlook: Despite pitching well over six of his final seven appearances in 2024 (1.58 ERA, 0.900 WHIP, and 1.86 BAA), Cortes ended the season with a sore left elbow. The Yankees traded him to the Brewers in mid-December, and Milwaukee reported that he was past his injury woes.

With a drop off in his strikeout rate (8.4 – 9.5 in 2023 and 9.3) and more balls landing in the seats, his arm appears to have more risk than reward entering 2025. His price point is just about free, depending on league size, but I would have a short leash if Cortes struggles out of the gate. He’s a firm pass for me, so the ball is in your court now.

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