Nestor Cortes Bio
Nestor Cortes Jr., nicknamed “Nasty Nestor,” is a Cuban-American professional baseball pitcher who is currently a free agent. He has pitched in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Baltimore Orioles, New York Yankees, Seattle Mariners, Milwaukee Brewers, and San Diego Padres. Cortes became an MLB All-Star in 2022 and is recognized for his strategic pitching style, distinctive mustache, and engagement with fans.
Born in Cuba and raised in Hialeah, Florida, Cortes signed with the New York Yankees after the 2013 MLB draft. After a Rule 5 selection by the Orioles and a brief stint with the Mariners, he returned to the Yankees and became a rotation fixture. Across his MLB career, he has been valued for his command, pitch design, and ability to keep hitters off balance.
Early Life and Background
Nestor Cortes Jr. was born on December 10, 1994, in Surgidero de Batabanó, Cuba. When he was seven months old, his father, Nestor Cortes Sr., won the visa lottery, and the family relocated to the United States, settling in Hialeah, Florida. His father had previously been sentenced to one year in prison after a failed attempt to defect from Cuba in 1992, and he met Yuslaidy, Cortes’s mother, the following year. The family built a new life in South Florida, with Nestor Sr. working as a forklift driver and Yuslaidy employed as a manicurist.
Cortes began playing baseball at the age of four. His father introduced him to Major League Baseball by taking him to watch the Florida Marlins play at Pro Player Stadium in Miami Gardens. Those early games helped spark his love for the sport and shaped his understanding of what a professional career could look like.
Cortes attended Hialeah High School in Hialeah, Florida, where he developed as a pitcher. After high school, he committed to play college baseball at Florida International University, continuing to refine his craft before turning professional.
Path to Professional Baseball
The New York Yankees selected Cortes in the 36th round of the 2013 MLB draft, and he signed with an $85,000 signing bonus. He made his professional debut that year with the Gulf Coast League Yankees, posting a 0-1 record and a 4.42 ERA. Over the next several seasons, he worked his way through the Yankees’ minor league system, pitching for the Pulaski Yankees, Charleston RiverDogs, Tampa Yankees, Trenton Thunder, and Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders.
By 2017, Cortes had become a respected arm in the upper levels of the Yankees’ system, finishing the year with a 2.06 ERA across Tampa, Trenton, and the RailRiders. That performance was enough to attract attention around the league, and the Baltimore Orioles selected him in the 2017 Rule 5 draft, opening the door to his MLB career.
Nestor Cortes Career
Baltimore Orioles (2018)
Cortes made the Orioles’ Opening Day roster in 2018 as a relief pitcher and made his major league debut on March 31. His first month in the majors proved difficult, as he allowed four runs on ten hits, including two grand slams, across four games. On April 10, the Orioles designated him for assignment, and he was returned to the Yankees on April 13.
New York Yankees Stints (2018-2024)
After returning to the Yankees organization, Cortes pitched for Trenton and Scranton/Wilkes-Barre in 2018, combining for a 6-6 record and 3.68 ERA. He also played winter ball for the Estrellas Orientales of the Dominican Professional Baseball League, where he learned how to throw a cut fastball. Invited to spring training in 2019 as a non-roster player, he was assigned to Triple-A before being promoted on May 9. On June 15, he earned his first major league win, striking out seven batters over five innings. He finished 2019 with a 5-1 record and 5.67 ERA in 33 games.
On December 20, 2020, Cortes signed a minor league contract to return to the Yankees. He began 2021 with the RailRiders before being promoted on May 30. Over the 2021 season, his signature mustache, along with his unique pitching style, made him a favorite of Yankees fans and earned him the moniker “Nasty Nestor.” He finished 2021 with a 2.90 ERA and 103 strikeouts in 93 innings across 22 appearances. In 2022, he became a fixture in the Yankees’ starting rotation, threw an immaculate inning against the Orioles on April 16, and pitched 7⅓ hitless innings against the Texas Rangers on May 9 before allowing his first hit. He was selected for the All-Star Game and finished the regular season with a 12-4 record and a 2.44 ERA in 158⅓ innings across 28 games.
In 2023, Cortes struggled with injuries, posting a 5.16 ERA across 11 starts before landing on the injured list with a left rotator cuff strain. He logged a 5-2 record and a 4.97 ERA in 12 starts. With Gerrit Cole beginning 2024 on the injured list, the Yankees chose Cortes as their Opening Day starting pitcher. He went 9-10 with a 3.77 ERA in 31 games, ranking second on the team in innings pitched and third in strikeouts. In the 2024 World Series, he appeared in Game 1 and surrendered a walk-off grand slam to Freddie Freeman in the 10th inning.
Seattle Mariners (2020)
On November 25, 2019, the Yankees traded Cortes to the Seattle Mariners. He hurt his elbow in August 2020, sending him to the injured list. Working at the Mariners’ alternate training site, a coach helped him adjust his fastball grip, adding backspin. In 2020, Cortes gave up 13 runs over 7⅔ innings. On October 22, he was outrighted off the 40-man roster and elected free agency.
Milwaukee Brewers (2025)
On December 13, 2024, the Yankees traded Cortes and Caleb Durbin to the Milwaukee Brewers for reliever Devin Williams. Cortes made his Brewers debut on March 29 against the Yankees, allowing eight runs in two innings. He earned his first win of the season on April 3 against the Cincinnati Reds, pitching six innings of one-hit ball. That was his final appearance with Milwaukee, as he went on the 15-day injured list with an elbow injury.
San Diego Padres (2025)
On July 31, 2025, the Brewers traded Cortes, Jorge Quintana, and cash to the San Diego Padres for Brandon Lockridge. He was activated off the injured list on August 3 and made six starts for San Diego, posting a 1-3 record and 5.47 ERA with 21 strikeouts across 26⅓ innings. On October 16, it was announced that Cortes would miss 9 to 10 months after undergoing surgery to repair a tendon tear in his throwing arm.
Pitching Style and Strengths
Cortes throws a four-seam fastball that averages approximately 91 miles per hour, along with a cutter, slider, changeup, and curveball. His curveball has been registered as slow as 47 miles per hour. He hides the ball well in his wind-up, which helps offset his shorter frame, and uses varied timing and pauses to disrupt hitters’ rhythm.
Notable Events and Milestones
Cortes’s signature moments include his 2022 All-Star selection, his immaculate inning against the Orioles, and his 7⅓ hitless innings against the Texas Rangers. In the 2024 World Series, he surrendered a walk-off grand slam to Freddie Freeman in Game 1. His mustache and unorthodox delivery helped create the “Nasty Nestor” identity that resonated with Yankees fans.
Nestor Cortes Family
Family Background and Personal Life
Cortes and his girlfriend, Alondra Esteras Russy, became engaged after the 2022 All-Star Game and married in November 2023. The couple’s first son was born in 2025. Cortes is a fan of horse racing, having attended races at the Hialeah Park Race Track as a child, and in 2023, he partnered with a Yankees equipment manager to purchase a harness racing horse.
2025 Season Performance
Cortes’s 2025 season began with the Milwaukee Brewers after being traded from the Yankees in December 2024. After two starts in April, he was placed on the injured list with an elbow injury. The Brewers traded him to the San Diego Padres at the end of July, and he was activated in early August.
With the Padres, Cortes made six starts, recording a 1-3 record and 5.47 ERA across 26⅓ innings. His season was cut short in October when he underwent surgery to repair a tendon tear in his throwing arm, ruling him out for nine to ten months. He is now a free agent, working his way back from injury.