Nestor Cortes knows exactly why his former Yankees teammates crushed him in ‘brutal’ Bronx return

New York Post - Mar 30th, 2025
Open on New York Post

Nestor Cortes faced a tough return to Yankee Stadium, conceding eight runs in just two innings during a heavy 20-9 defeat. The left-handed pitcher, recently traded to the Brewers, acknowledged that the Yankees' familiarity with his pitching style played a significant role in his poor performance. Yankees players Paul Goldschmidt, Cody Bellinger, and Aaron Judge all hit first-pitch homers, exploiting Cortes' predictable fastballs. Cortes admitted his failure to adjust his strategy, resulting in career-worst statistics for the game.

This game was particularly poignant for Cortes, having previously played for the Yankees before being traded in the offseason. The familiarity with his former teammates added an emotional layer to the encounter, highlighting the challenges of facing a former team that knows his tactics well. The loss underscores the strategic element of baseball, emphasizing the need for constant adaptation. Despite the setback, Cortes remains determined to learn from this experience and improve in future games.

Story submitted by Fairstory

RATING

6.8
Fair Story
Consider it well-founded

The article provides a clear and timely account of Nestor Cortes' performance against the Yankees, focusing on his reflections and the challenges he faced. It effectively uses direct quotes to convey Cortes' perspective, enhancing the story's clarity and engagement for sports fans. However, the article could benefit from a broader range of sources and additional context to improve balance and source quality. While it addresses a topic of interest to baseball audiences, its impact and public interest are somewhat limited outside the sports community. Overall, the story is a well-written piece that effectively captures a specific moment in the sports world, though it could be strengthened by incorporating more diverse perspectives and deeper analysis.

RATING DETAILS

8
Accuracy

The story about Nestor Cortes' performance against the Yankees appears to be largely accurate. The factual claims, such as Cortes allowing five home runs and eight runs in two innings, align with the cited sources. These statistics are crucial to the story and were confirmed as career-worsts for Cortes. Additionally, the details about Cortes being traded to the Brewers in the offseason as part of a package for Devin Williams are accurate according to the sources. However, the story could benefit from additional verification regarding the Yankees' specific strategy against Cortes and whether this was a premeditated plan. Overall, the story presents a truthful and precise account of the events, supported by reliable sources.

7
Balance

The article provides a balanced perspective by including quotes from Nestor Cortes, which offer insight into his personal reflections on the game. However, the story primarily focuses on Cortes' viewpoint and lacks input from the Yankees or other analysts who could provide additional context or counterpoints. Including perspectives from the Yankees' coaching staff or players about their strategy could have offered a more rounded view. While the article does not overtly favor any side, the absence of these additional perspectives limits the depth of balance.

8
Clarity

The article is generally clear and well-structured, with a logical flow that guides the reader through Cortes' performance and reflections. The language is straightforward and accessible, making it easy for readers to understand the key points. The use of direct quotes from Cortes adds authenticity and clarity to his perspective on the game. However, the article could improve clarity by providing more context on the Yankees' strategy and how it impacted Cortes' performance.

6
Source quality

The story relies on direct quotes from Nestor Cortes, which are credible as they come from the primary subject of the article. However, the story does not cite any external sources, such as team officials or analysts, to corroborate the claims about the Yankees' strategy. The lack of diverse sources reduces the overall reliability of the article. Incorporating a broader range of sources could have enhanced the credibility and depth of the reporting.

5
Transparency

The article lacks transparency in terms of how it obtained its information, particularly the details about the Yankees' strategy. While it quotes Cortes extensively, it does not clarify whether these insights were gathered from a press conference, a one-on-one interview, or another setting. Furthermore, the story does not disclose any potential conflicts of interest or biases that may affect the reporting. Greater transparency about the reporting process and source of information would improve the article's credibility.

Sources

  1. https://www.seattlepi.com/sports/article/a-day-after-allowing-5-homers-brewers-nestor-20248795.php
  2. https://www.instagram.com/baseballdugout/p/DHyrwVeOsuQ/
  3. https://www.instagram.com/thescore/p/DHyxM5ox5x-/