Cortes (1-0) picked up the win Friday in a 12-2 rout of the Royals, allowing two runs (one earned) on eight hits over five innings. He struck out three without walking a batter.
The Yankees scored three runs in the top of the first inning and slugged four homers in total on the night, giving Cortes more than enough run support. The southpaw tossed 56 of 82 pitches for strikes before hitting the showers, and he continues to completely baffle hitters. Cortes sports a stunning 35.9 percent strikeout rate and 3.8 percent walk rate through his first 20.2 innings in 2022.