A:<\/strong>\u00a0So, no. He was a senior when I was a freshman in high school, but I do remember him. We were playing at the same field, just at different times. \u2026 Fast forward to 2018 and we\u2019re teammates with the Orioles, so that was pretty cool. And in the (2022) All-Star Game, we saw each other in center field in Los Angeles and he was just screaming \u2018Hialeah, Hialeah, Hialeah!\u2019 and I look up and it\u2019s Manny. He was happy for me, because he saw what I went through in 2018 with the Orioles.<\/p>\n That area has a strong Latin American presence. It\u2019s also known for producing a lot of baseball talent. Did you feel a sense of community growing up there?<\/strong><\/p>\n A:\u00a0<\/strong>Definitely. I think South Florida is unique. Just a lot of resilient people. Most of it is Cubans that come from Cuba. They came to the States to look for a better life. But those guys, everybody just had to find a way to survive. I think what makes Miami and South Florida special is that you kind of have that same mentality, almost of survive, survive, survive. \u2026 The Miami area is a really competitive place, not only in baseball, but in every other aspect of jobs, living, the whole thing.<\/p>\n You were born in Cuba and came to the U.S. as a baby after your father won the visa lottery. Your dad was incarcerated for a year before you were born after he was caught trying to defect. Do you ever reflect on that experience, or consider how different your life might have been if he hadn\u2019t won the lottery?<\/strong><\/p>\n A:<\/strong> As far as how my life would be different if my dad didn\u2019t win the visa lottery, I can see myself defecting from Cuba and going through those tough paths that 95% of all the other Cubans go through. \u2026 So they give out (a small number) of visa lotteries a year, but not everybody\u2019s able to come. You still need plane ticket money. You need somewhere to live when you get here. A lot of obstacles to just get the opportunity to come here. Luckily, I had an aunt \u2014 my dad\u2019s sister \u2014 already living here for a few years, so we were able to go to her house for a few months until we got our feet under us and my dad found a job, and we were able to move out and create a life of our own. But my mom was 19 and my dad was 25. So imagine, my mom was basically a baby still, trying to take care of a baby in a place where she didn\u2019t know the language and didn\u2019t know what to do. So a lot of props to them. Obviously they were resilient \u2026 (They) sacrificed their whole life just to give me a better life.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n You were drafted by the Yankees and performed well in their minor league system. Then the Orioles selected you in the Rule 5 Draft. Did that turn of events surprise you?<\/strong><\/p>\n A:\u00a0<\/strong>I was so surprised. So after five years, the Yankees had to protect me. They felt like I wasn\u2019t good enough to be protected. The Orioles picked me in the Rule 5 Draft. I was super excited. I was like, \u2018OK, now what?\u2019 because I was so naive to all these things. So 2018, I go into spring training, they said, \u2018Hey, we\u2019re gonna work you as a starter. You\u2019re gonna fight for the fifth spot.\u2019 I was a starter in the minor leagues. Then they signed other starters, so I ended up going into the long relief role in the bullpen. And I (made my debut) and had the worst two weeks of my big-league career to start off my big-league career. I got designated for assignment after just two weeks. I had just gotten my first paycheck. I\u2019m like, \u2018Wow, this is what it looks like to be in the big leagues.\u2019<\/p>\n You were gone after only four appearances. That had to have been so mentally taxing.<\/strong><\/p>\n A:<\/strong> It was so bad. At the time, I think the Orioles didn\u2019t realize how their season was going to turn out. So to be fair, I did deserve to be DFA\u2019d.<\/p>\n But you\u2019re also just finding your way as a major leaguer. And then the Orioles finished 47-115 that year.\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n A:<\/strong> Yes. Everybody (on the Orioles) gets traded. Now they\u2019re the worst team in the big leagues. I told myself, \u2018Wow, I just got DFA\u2019d from the worst team in the big leagues.\u2019 The Yankees got me back, so I go (from the worst team) to one of the best, top five in the big leagues. I said, \u2018I\u2019m never going to make it up again.\u2019 That\u2019s what my mentality was.<\/p>\n The Yankees then traded you to the Mariners for $28,300. Things didn\u2019t go well with Seattle either. Did you think, \u2018Hey, do I stay in baseball? Do I leave baseball?\u2019<\/strong><\/p>\n A:<\/strong> No. Even in the minor leagues, I saw a lot of high prospects say, \u2018If I don\u2019t get moved up to Double-A, I\u2019m going home.\u2019 I always told myself in that moment, \u2018I\u2019ve been playing baseball since I was 4 years old. I have nothing to fall back on.\u2019 I wasn\u2019t a big-signing bonus baby. If I\u2019m packing my bags, I\u2019m gonna go work at Walmart or something, because I don\u2019t have nothing else to do. So I\u2019m like, \u2018I\u2019m gonna play until they rip the jersey off my back.\u2019 Luckily, it worked out a little bit.<\/p>\n In 2020, you go back to the Yankees for your third stint with New York. But this time, it clicks. 2021 was a breakout year for you and in 2022, you make the All-Star Game. How validating was that?<\/strong><\/p>\n A:<\/strong> I felt like 2018, \u201819, and \u201820 were a big learning process for me. When I got to the big leagues, I didn\u2019t really have a routine. I don\u2019t know how to be a big-leaguer. So 2018-20 kind of shaped me, helped me. It was like, \u2018Hey, what you\u2019re doing is not enough. You\u2019ve got to do more, or you\u2019ve got to change up certain things that you\u2019re doing.\u2019 \u2026 So in \u201921, I pitched one or two months in the minor leagues and I get called up. And I said, \u2018I gotta really concentrate, I need to be professional.\u2019 Like hydration, sleep, recovery, all these things.<\/p>\n One starting pitcher gets COVID, you get an opportunity. Then more opportunities follow, and you keep meeting the moment.\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n A:\u00a0<\/strong>I\u2019m like, \u2018Man, I could get used to this.\u2019 (laughs) I was able to finish that year as a starter. \u2026 But even after \u201922, I\u2019m like, \u2018OK, I know I just made the All-Star Game, but I still feel like I\u2019m not established.\u2019 Which was a good mentality to have, because you always need to be working and you always need to make yourself better than what you are. The league adjusts. You see it every day. The league adjusts to the pitcher, the pitcher adjusts to the hitter, and the guys that don\u2019t adjust get moved out of this game. And that kind of mentality helped me. \u2018OK, how do I get better? How can I stay this good?\u2019 And it\u2019s allowed me to be successful.<\/p>\n How did growing up personally and professionally in New York \u2014 the biggest stage, with some of the most ruthless fans and media \u2014 shape you?<\/strong><\/p>\n A:\u00a0<\/strong>It\u2019s tough, because obviously you get penalized every single time you don\u2019t do well. But I think it brings the best out of you every single day as a competitor. Not only is your team counting on you, not only is your manager counting on you, not only is your front office counting on you, but the whole state of New York, right? And if you play for New York, that means you probably have fans in Italy, you probably have fans in Europe. It\u2019s a worldwide brand. Mentally, you get drained. But I think it\u2019s a good type. Like, you\u2019ve got to survive somehow. You don\u2019t know how you\u2019re gonna survive, but you gotta figure it out. And I think that\u2019s what makes New York great, that\u2019s what they\u2019re all for there. It definitely helped me to be in the fire every single time.\u201d<\/p>\n Your velocity isn\u2019t the highest, you\u2019re not the tallest, but you do something that\u2019s often overlooked in today\u2019s game: You pitch. There\u2019s finesse. You vary your arm angles, grips, timing and delivery. How much pride do you take in your craft?<\/strong><\/p>\n A:<\/strong> I do take a lot of pride in that, actually. People ask me all the time \u2014 I mean, I\u2019ve asked myself at times too \u2014 I\u2019m like, \u2018How did I just throw six innings versus a top offense or a team that\u2019s hot?\u2019 And then you look back at the outing, it\u2019s like, \u2018Wow. I basically was an artist out there.\u2019 Like, you threw that pitch where you needed to throw it in that situation. And then you were able to give yourself a little bit more room in the zone because of how you set (a pitch) up. \u2026 I think it is lost, but I think it\u2019s coming back a little bit. People buy into the analytics, which I love. I\u2019m for analytics, but you got to buy into the feeling of the game. And I think that was lost a little bit, but I think it\u2019s coming back.<\/p>\n When you were struggling with the Mariners, Rob Marcello, your Triple-A pitching coach, helped you change your grip on your fastball. Why was that little tweak so impactful?<\/strong><\/p>\n A:<\/strong> So for me, I have a four-seam fastball. Basically, (the ball is) on a clock. If I\u2019m spinning my ball (at 10:45), I don\u2019t get ride on my fastball. If I tilt it just to 11:15, 11:30, that allows me to ride the ball a little longer through the zone. And that little adjustment for me was incredible. Because I said, \u2018Rob, I was so good as a minor leaguer. Why? Explain to me why.\u2019 He\u2019s like, \u2018Let\u2019s look at the computer.\u2019 And the first thing that pumped out was 10:45 to 11:15. Like, \u2018Hey, try and spin the ball at 11:15.\u2019 As soon as I did that, everything just skyrocketed after that.<\/p>\n That story is incredible to me because what if you hadn\u2019t crossed paths with him or asked him for help? I mean, maybe another pitching coach would catch it, but\u2026<\/strong><\/p>\n A:<\/strong> Exactly. Maybe. But maybe not.<\/p>\n You\u2019re someone who has had to prove yourself repeatedly just to get an opportunity. What have you learned about yourself through your journey?<\/strong><\/p>\n A:<\/strong> I think you\u2019ve got to take your career day by day. You\u2019ve just got to live, I think, in the moment. Almost have the mentality of how you\u2019re going to survive today. Like I said, from \u201918 to \u201920, it was tough. It was tough to overcome each day, because I was always thinking of ahead, ahead, ahead. Where now it\u2019s like, get one pitch strike, get second pitch strike, get first out, get second out, and from there go inning by inning.<\/p>\n Do you have any hobbies?<\/strong><\/p>\n A:\u00a0<\/strong>I love fishing. My dad has always owned a boat since I can remember. My grandfather was a fisherman in Cuba, so that\u2019s how my dad got into the whole fishing side. Once we got to Miami, I remember my dad always trying to work and trying to save up some money to buy his small boat and be able to go out there and fish. I kind of gravitated towards that. I love the water. I love being on the boat. I love fishing. I actually enjoy my time in the offseason with him, because we both fish together. We go out and that\u2019s how we do our father-and-son time. I\u2019m gonna check out the fishing (in San Diego), for sure.<\/p>\n Speaking of father and son bonding, you are a new dad to Nestor III, who was born in May. How do you like fatherhood?<\/strong><\/p>\n A:\u00a0<\/strong>Incredible. I used to always make fun of my friends, like, they take too many pictures or show me their sons so many times. And I\u2019m like, \u2018Dude, I get it. You\u2019re a dad.\u2019 But now that I\u2019m a dad, I find myself taking pictures and sending pictures, and I\u2019m like, \u2018Man, I thought I was never gonna be this guy.\u2019 And here I am, like, \u2018Look how big he is. Look, this is a week ago, this is now.\u2019 I enjoy it. My wife is here, my son is here, so I love going back to them and just hanging out with him. Obviously, these early stages, they change from one week to the other. She gave birth in Miami and wasn\u2019t able to travel for six weeks to Milwaukee, so I didn\u2019t have him for these first six weeks. And at first when he got there, I was like, \u2018I know he\u2019s my son, but we don\u2019t have that (bond) yet.\u2019 So it was kind of like, I wouldn\u2019t say weird, but it was just not that lovey-dovey stuff. And as soon as two, three weeks went by, it was like, \u2018Holy crap. I\u2019m a dad.\u2019<\/p>\n One day he will learn about Nasty Nestor and his mustache. Is that your alter ego now?<\/strong><\/p>\n A:<\/strong> Fans gave me that nickname in New York. This was probably the end of 2021 into 2022. And then with the All-Star year in \u201922, it kind of stuck. So after 2022, I was like, \u2018You know what, not a lot of people could be named Nasty Nestor and it be a good thing.\u2019 So I (got it tattooed) on (my wrist). I just think it\u2019s a pretty cool nickname to have. And I guess once you have a nickname in the big leagues, it means you made it. And the mustache (turned into) my superpower.<\/p>\n Last year\u2019s World Series didn\u2019t end the way you wanted it to, but did going through that change you?<\/strong><\/p>\n A:<\/strong> Definitely. I think going into the postseason and getting to the World Series, it gives you a different type of personality and a different kind of bond with your teammates. Because now it\u2019s like, \u2018Dude, we\u2019ve been through it all. We\u2019ve grinded for 162 (games)\u2019 and now we have this month where we\u2019re striving to be the best team in the world. We\u2019re obviously after one mission, one goal, and it is to win the World Series. So I think going through that kind of puts perspective into life too. You create friendships that are forever.<\/p>\n Anything you want to see or do in San Diego?<\/strong><\/p>\n A:<\/strong> I\u2019ve heard there\u2019s a huge Navy base here, so I would love to check that out. Obviously, the work that they put in every single day, it\u2019s just amazing. And then, I want to fish here. I\u2019ve never been tuna fishing. I heard this is a really good tuna fishing spot, and I want to be able to fight with one of those for an hour or two.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"The Padres traded for left-hander Nestor Cortes at the deadline, sending outfielder Brandon Lockridge to Milwaukee in exchange…\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":167059,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[5134],"tags":[5229,1582,276,1370,1266,3549,1306,7264,62,67,586,132,5230,68,2969],"class_list":{"0":"post-167058","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-san-diego","8":"tag-america","9":"tag-ca","10":"tag-california","11":"tag-latest-headlines","12":"tag-mlb","13":"tag-san-diego","14":"tag-san-diego-padres","15":"tag-sandiego","16":"tag-sports","17":"tag-united-states","18":"tag-united-states-of-america","19":"tag-unitedstates","20":"tag-unitedstatesofamerica","21":"tag-us","22":"tag-usa"},"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"https:\/\/pubeurope.com\/@us\/115073683797581659","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/167058","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=167058"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/167058\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/167059"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=167058"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=167058"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=167058"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}![\"Baltimore](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/AP18091087580835.jpg\")
Baltimore Orioles relief pitcher Nestor Cortes Jr. throws to the Minnesota Twins in the seventh inning of a baseball game, Saturday, March 31, 2018, in Baltimore. It was his major league baseball debut. (AP Photo\/Patrick Semansky)<\/p>\n![\"American](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/AP22201087072437.jpg\")
American League pitcher Nestor Cortes, of the New York Yankees, uses an earpiece and microphone to talk to his battery mate catcher Jose Trevino, also of the Yankees, betfore throwing a pitch to the National League during the sixth inning of the MLB All-Star baseball game, Tuesday, July 19, 2022, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo\/Mark J. Terrill)<\/p>\n![\"New](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/AP24299810769035.jpg\")
New York Yankees pitcher Nestor Cortes answers a question during a news conference before Game 1 of the baseball World Series, Friday, Oct. 25, 2024, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo\/Julio Cortez)<\/p>\n![\"Nestor](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/SUT-L-Padres-Giants-0819-007.jpg\")
Nestor Cortes\u00a0#65 of the San Diego Padres pitches against the San Francisco Giants at Petco Park on Aug. 18, 2025 in San Diego, California. (K.C. Alfred \/ The San Diego Union-Tribune)<\/p>\n