Nestor Cortes seems like a gimmick, but he’s got the AL’s best ERA since 2021 for pitchers with 120+IP. He also became the first Yankee to have less than 6ER in their first 6 starts of a season. His start to 2022 has been legendary. And when you watch him, you see why he’s so good. He can top out at 94mph but his FB can be thrown from multiple arm angles, can range in speed by 5mph and plays up to hitters due to spin rate. His cutter is dynamite and he can throw that from different angles. Fangraphs doesn’t list a cutter, but does list a slider. He throws a cutter that’s 87, a slider at 85 a curve at 76 and a change at 83. He’s hard to compare to others. You’ve got a little guy like Johan Santana, but Santana was more a power fastball devastating change guy. There’s Jamie Moyer, but he throws harder than him and racks up more K’s. He’s almost like a lefty vintage Corey Kluber with movement, command, and the ability to strike out the whole lineup. I haven’t seen a transformation from outright scrub to dominant ace in a pitcher who doesn’t have top shelf velocity or a single pitch that is outright unhittable. He’s must watch baseball, IMO. I do love watching Cole, but I know what I’m gonna see there, 99-100 fastball, devastating slider, change worked in the mix middle innings. He’s pure power. But Cortes is pure deception and he absolutely dominates. I love watching this kid