With the number of pitchers the Aggies are bringing in via the transfer portal, there would inevitably be turnover in the pitching room. Enter RHP power pitcher Chris Cortez. This is not a surprising move considering Texas A&M pitching coach Nate Yeskie is leaving for LSU, and he is why Cortez landed in Aggieland over Arizona. With LSU losing some pitching talent, Cortez could pose as a solid piece that Yeskie can continue to develop.
Cortez showed some flashes of dominance, but the inconsistency plagued him all year. This was highlighted in an article before the 2022 season by Brian Perroni of 247 Sports when reviewing the pitchers on the roster.
A former Arizona commit to Yeskie, Cortez decided to follow Yeskie to A&M. Cortez has all kinds of potential and has the chance to possibly reach triple digits on the gun. He looked good in fall ball and has a real shot to be a key arm in his freshman campaign. He has some solid pitches, but must work on his command. He throws a mean cutter, and pretty solid breaking ball. Consistency will be the key and Yeskie is the guy to help him.
He seemed to have a slight regression during the 2023 season, ending in a 3-1 record but a massive 7.34 ERA, up from the sub-5 in 2022. However, overall, his potential and a good Freshman year are proof that if he can find a way to get some more control over his pitches, he can be one of the better pitchers in whatever conference he lands.
TRANSFER NEWS: @AggieBaseball RHP Chris Cortez has entered the Transfer Portal, @d1baseball has learned. Cortez is a 6-1, 205-pounder, who has a massive arm but who also struggled immensely in 2023. Fastball is up to 98-99 mph w/ promising SL at times. https://t.co/eTepH8FGTd
— Kendall Rogers (@KendallRogers) July 6, 2023
Good Luck to Chris. Hopefully, he will excel at his next location!
Contact/Follow us @AggiesWire on Twitter, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Texas A&M news, notes, and opinions. Follow Jarrett Johnson on Twitter: @whosnextsports1.
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