"I don't have anything to fall back on so I'm just going to ride this as long as I could" - New York Yankees flamethrower doesn't have any pursuits besides pitching, powers club into 20-win club with eleven nasty strikeouts

The New York Yankees have seemingly struck gold with starter Nestor Cortes. The unorthodox southpaw led the New York Yankees to their American League-leading 20th win of the 2022 MLB season today as the club shutout the Texas Rangers in a narrow 1-0 victory to close out the series. Cortes was especially dominant as he struck out eleven hitters and threw seven no-hit innings in the afternoon series finale.

Upon meeting with the press after his start, New York Yankees starting pitcher Nestor Cortes confirmed that he is where he belongs and there's no place he would rather be

Nestor Cortes: "I've been playing baseball since I was four... I don't have anything to fall back on, so I'm just going to ride this as long as I could."

It has been a long road to success for Cortes. This is his third stint with the New York Yankees. After being drafted in 36th round of the 2013 draft, Cortes spent six years on various minor league pitching staffs for New York. He was then selected in the Rule Five draft by the Baltimore Orioles, where he got the chance to achieve his dream of reaching the Majors.

Nestor Cortes Jr.'s 1.41 ERA this season ranks second in the American League behind Seattle's Logan Gilbert (1.36)

Cortes was hit hard by opponents and found himself back with the Yankees the following season, where he was also shelled by opposing hitters. After a miserable season with the Seattle Mariners, Cortes returned to the Bronx. The third time has been the charm for the lefty reliever. He's found a great deal of success in the 2021 and 2022 campaigns.

The key to Cortes's redemption has been his embracing the quirks of his pitching mechanics. It's quite common for pitchers from the island of Cuba to exhibit unique and unorthodox deliveries.

The New York Yankees currently sit atop the American League East (and the American League as whole). While the offense ran cold today, the club does lead the American League in runs per game. If more pitchers are able to match the level of dominance Nestor Cortes brings to the starting rotation, the Yankees will be a force to be reckoned during the 2022 season.