RADIO
New York Yankees starting pitcher/relief pitcher Nestor Cortes Jr. is a fantasy baseball waiver wire pickup for Week 25 of the 2021 MLB season. Consider adding the SP/RP if he's a free agent in your leagues.
BALLER MOVE: Add in leagues of 12+ teams
ROSTERED IN: 44% of leagues
ANALYSIS: New York Yankees starting pitcher Nestor Cortes Jr. has been one of the team's nicest surprises on the mound this year. The lefty has carved himself a relatively safe role in the team's rotation and he could help fantasy managers - in addition to the Yankees - over the final stretch of the regular season.
Cortes has made 18 appearances (10 starts) on the year and he has gone 2-2 with a 2.70 ERA, a 1.08 WHIP and a 3.6 K/BB ratio. He's recorded quality starts in three of his past five outings. Before this recent five-start stretch, he hadn't reached the end of the sixth inning once on the year, yet the Yankees don't seem to be opposed to stretching him out anymore. He threw 103 pitches in his most recent start and could continue to pitch deep into games going forward as long as he remains effective.
Cortes' next start is a road game against the Baltimore Orioles on Wednesday. The Orioles are a decent matchup for him. They've scored the sixth-fewest runs in the league this year, but they are better against lefties and better at home. The team has a .773 OPS at home (.654 on the road) and a .761 OPS against lefties (.686 against righties). After that, he lines up for a two-start week in Week 26 that starts off with a fantastic matchup against the Texas Rangers at home, but concludes with a tough one against the Boston Red Sox on the road. It's a solid two-start scenario for points leagues, but it's risky for categories leagues as that second start could hurt his ratios significantly.
Cortes is a great option to add off the waiver wire on Tuesday or Wednesday this week for anyone in daily lock leagues. His starts against the Orioles and Rangers are both worth gambling on if you need an arm.
More Fantasy Baseball Waiver Wire Pickups
Deyvison De Los Santos - Prospect Pickups
BALLER MOVE: Add in 12+ team leagues CALL-UP ETA: Now ANALYSIS: Following their Opening Day victory over the Colorado Rockies, the Miami Marlins promoted first base prospect Deyvison De Los Santos to the major-league roster. De Los Santos spent nearly the entire 2025 season at our Triple-A level and was knocking on the MLB door for most […]
Konnor Griffin: Prospects To Stash
BALLER MOVE: Add in all leagues CALL-UP ETA: April ANALYSIS: Shortly before the regular season began, the Pirates opted to send Griffin to Triple-A Indianapolis. Griffin remained on the roster throughout most of spring training and was one of the final cuts, suggesting he made a serious push to crack the Opening Day roster. However, the […]
Andrew Painter: Prospects To Stash
BALLER MOVE: Add in 12-team leagues CALL-UP ETA: July ANALYSIS: Philadelphia Phillies top pitching prospect Andrew Painter missed the entirety of the 2023 and 2024 seasons while recovering from Tommy John surgery. However, the budding ace made his Triple-A debut earlier this season and is quickly approaching his MLB debut. Painter began the season with Low-A, […]
Logan Henderson: Prospects To Stash
BALLER MOVE: Add in 12+ team leagues CALL-UP ETA: July ANALYSIS: Milwaukee Brewers right-handed pitching prospect Logan Henderson made his MLB debut earlier this season and was quite dominant, tossing 21 innings to the tune of a 1.71 ERA and a 0.95 WHIP. During this stint, Henderson struck out 29 batters and posted a strong 7.4% […]
Jordan Lawlar: Prospects To Stash
BALLER MOVE: Add in 12+ team leagues CALL-UP ETA: July ANALYSIS: Arizona Diamondbacks top prospect Jordan Lawlar received his second taste of the majors earlier this season but was unable to produce. Across eight games in Arizona, Lawlar did not tally a hit and held a 9:3 K:BB. During the 2023 season, Lawlar made his MLB […]
Download Our Free Waiver Wire App
Like what you see? You can download our free fantasy baseball mobile app for iPhone and Android which includes more waiver wire recommendations at every position, 24x7 player news, notifications, injury alerts & daily articles.
Download Our Free News & Alerts Mobile App
Like what you see? Download our updated fantasy baseball app for iPhone and Android with 24x7 player news, injury alerts, sleepers, prospects & more. All free!
Check out RotoBaller's entire fantasy baseball waiver wire pickups and sleepers list, updated daily!
