“Everyone talks down about the Yanks, but they wanna be us” - Nestor Cortes Jr. weighs in on Yankees critics, takes pride in wearing pinstripes

Nestor Cortes Jr., the starting pitcher for the New York Yankees, feels blessed that he's able to represent the team because they are title contenders each year. Cortes said the Yankees draw a lot of jealousy from fans of other teams, as they compete in the playoffs every season.

The Yankees have a 58-40 record at the All-Star break and seem destined for the postseason yet again despite having a rough patch over the last month. They are only one game behind the American League East leaders and hold a comfortable advantage in the wildcard race. Nestor Cortes has played a handy role, making 20 starts with 115.1 IP and a 3.67 ERA.

As baseball fans around the world tune in to watch the 2024 MLB All-Star Game, Cortes took the opportunity to post a message on X and share his thoughts.

"Everyone talks down about the yanks but they wanna be us. It’s a privilege to wear pinstripes. Every year we are in contention. I’m blessed to be able to compete for a playoff spot and always be contenders at the end," he wrote.

The comment from Nestor Cortes comes on the back of the massive criticism the Yankees have received from all quarters recently. The Bronx Bombers are in a massive slump, going 8-18 since June 15.

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Nestor Cortes and the Yankees need improvement to stay in the playoff hunt

Nestor Cortes has allowed 12 earned runs in his last 4 starts for the Yankees (Photo Credit: IMAGN)

In 2023, the New York Yankees failed to reach the playoffs, which was eventually dubbed a disaster by their general manager, Brian Cashman.

Nestor Cortes made just 12 starts, while Aaron Judge missed 42 games from June 4 to July 2, which proved to be the turning point in the season. Failing to reach the playoffs could become a reality once again if their fortunes don't improve soon.

The Yankees pitching staff was excellent during the opening couple of months of the season but had a 5.27 ERA in June. Meanwhile, their batting lineup is heavily reliant on Aaron Judge and Juan Soto, and nobody else besides the two superstar sluggers is hitting above .250. As a result, their offense ranks in 19th place for the month of July.

Cortes has also been off-color during the team's poor run, having allowed 12 earned runs over the 21.2 innings he has pitched in his previous four starts.