Nestor Cortes Jr. looks to continue being the Yankees’ most reliable pitcher against Red Sox on Sunday

Nestor Cortes Jr. goes into Sunday night’s game against the Red Sox with an excellent resume and a playoff rotation spot locked up. All things being equal, Cortes Jr. would likely be considered to start the all important Game 1 of the postseason. But, of course, Cortes Jr. is a 36th-rounder who has overcome the odds and Aaron Boone is doubling down on the Bombers’ ace, Gerrit Cole.

Asked if he still “trusted” Cole in the playoffs following another outing ruined by a pair of home runs, Boone said, “Yeah, what’s the alternative?”

Well, Cortes Jr. or Luis Severino at this point.

Cole was signed to a historic nine-year, $324 million contract before the 2020 season to be the piece that gets the Yankees over the humo in the playoffs. At the time, Yankees managing partner Hal Steinbrenner made it clear he expected that deal to win the Yankees multiple World Series championships.

Cole’s performances in the playoffs have been mixed — he pitched well in the COVID postseason of 2020. Most remember his meltdown last October against the Red Sox in the American League Wild Card game, where he could not record an out in the third inning.

So far this season, Cole has racked up some pretty impressive individual statistics. He’s struck out 244 hitters, which is most in the majors, over 188.1 innings pitched. And has pitched to a respectable 3.49 ERA in 31 starts.

But Cole has looked unreliable as of late. He’s the only pitcher in the big leagues this season that has allowed four earned runs and at least two home runs in three consecutive starts. They happen to be his last three starts.

But Boone doesn’t see that as an issue.

“I thought he threw the ball awesome [Friday] night,” Boone said of Cole’s latest start that ended in an emotional meltdown. 

After not getting the 1-2 strike call that he wanted — and the one that the Yankees have been screaming that should not be called on Aaron Judge all year — Cole threw what two scouts confirmed was an “emotional fastball.” He was angry and tried to overwhelm Alex Verdugo with a 100-mile an hour fastball, which Cole admitted was a bad pitch and it landed in the seats. That cost the Yankees the 4-1 lead Cole had just been handed.

It was the 10th home run Cole has allowed in his last six starts.

“It is remarkable,” Boone said. “A pretty dominant outing and one pitch at the end wrecks the line. We’re doing all we can to avoid those certain things.

“It’s crazy that has happened. The bottom line is we’ve got a guy throwing the ball incredibly well right now, with every capability to go out there and dominate.”

While Cole’s home run per nine is pretty similar to his career rate, those home runs he is giving up this year aren’t just one-run homers in lopsided games.

Of Cole’s career-high tying 31 homers allowed, 14 of them broke a tie game, three tied a game and two lost the lead for the Yankees. He has the second highest hard hit % of his career (39.6%) and second highest fly ball rate of his career (29.2%).

“If he executes at a high level, he can shut down anyone,” Boone said. “He’s in that place to do that. We’ve got to get [over] that hump. The only thing to change that narrative is to go out and avoid that one big one. That’s all it’s been, one big one here and there.”

Cortes Jr.’s numbers aren’t as sexy as Cole’s. The lefty goes into Sunday night’s finale against the Red Sox with a 10-4 record and a 2.67 ERA over 26 starts. He’s struck out just 146 batters in 145 innings pitched.

But the first-time All-Star doesn’t let sluggers beat him.

Cortes Jr. has allowed just 16 home runs this season, just two have cost the Yankees a lead and eight have broken a tie game. He is in the top-25 percentile in hard hit %, xSlg% and barrel %, which makes the case he has controlled the damage against him.

Cortes Jr. has made the argument that he is the Yankees’ most reliable pitcher this season.