Nestor Cortes

Organization Prospect Rankings

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  Ranked Baltimore Orioles #31 prospect in 2018
  Once again in 2017, the Yankees farm system was strip-mined during the Rule 5 draft, and in Cortes, the Orioles hope they have found a gem. Cortes was the first of their three pitchers selected, along with righthanders Pedro Araujo (Cubs) and Jose Mesa Jr. (Yankees). Despite Cortes' small frame and subpar velocity--his fastball tops out in the low 90s--he's been nearly unhittable since he finally broke out of Rookie ball in 2016. Over stops at high Class A Tampa, Double-A Trenton, and Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre, Cortes has shown an ability to miss bats, coax weak contact on the ground and keep the ball in the park while mixing in three offspeed pitches--a slider, curveball, a changeup. He has an ability to change both speeds and his arm angle at will and shows a willingness to pitch inside. All that has helped him strike out 9.5 per nine innings in his minor league career with 2.1 walks per nine. Cortes is set to battle for a major league roster spot in spring training as a swingman who could spot start.