Let him cook: Yankees pitcher sounds like he has a big problem with David Ortiz interview

The New York Yankees are one of the most decorated sports franchises in all four major North American sports league. The Yankees have won 27 World Series championships and 40 American League Pennants, and the club has a rich history of all-time greats like Yogi Berra, Babe Ruth, Lou Gehrig, Mickey Mantle, Mariano Rivera, and Derek Jeter.

The pinstripes come with prestige, but they also come with expectation. The success has created plenty of animosity and jealousy, and any sign of weakness typically brings out the critics. The Yankees limped into the 2024 MLB All-Star break after an abysmal stretch over the past month, which even united other American League East rivals against them.

Baltimore Orioles All-Star Gunnar Henderson joined Boston Red Sox legend David Ortiz to review the first half of their season before the All-Star Game at Globe Life Field in Arlington. During the interview, Ortiz took the opportunity to take some playful jabs at the Yankees.

Ortiz said nothing makes him happier than watching the Yankees lose and expressed his joy about the Orioles defeating the Yankees in their last game before the All-Star break. The Orioles pulled off a dramatic 6-5 comeback victory in the ninth inning to maintain a narrow lead in the division.

"Can you do me a favor? Can you take it easy on my Red Sox?" Ortiz quipped at the end of the interview. "Beat the Yankees while you're at it."

Nestor Cortes lashes out at critics after David Ortiz laughs at Yankees

Yankees pitcher Nestor Cortes didn't take the jokes too kindly, and he shared his thoughts on the matter in a social media post on Tuesday.

"Everyone talks down about the [Yankees] but they wanna be us," Cortes posted. "It’s a privilege to wear pinstripes. Every year we are in contention. I’m blessed to be able to compete for a playoff spot and always be contenders at the end."

In 2023, Forbes listed the Yankees as the second-most valuable franchise in the world with a $7.1 billion valuation. Those figures are based on past success, however, as Cortes' teams haven't accomplished anything to command respect yet.

The Yankees entered the All-Star break with a 58-40 record and sit just one game behind the Orioles in the AL East. Still, their recent struggles are concerning. The season is shaping up to be the third consecutive year New York has gotten off to a hot start only to end the season with a whimper. In 2022, the Yankees started with a 61-23 record before ending with a 38-40 record. In 2023, they started with a 36-25 record before finishing with a 46-55 record.

This season, it almost seems inevitable to happen again. The Yankees stormed out to a 50-22 record to start the season, but they've gone 8-18 since then. At this point, it has become formulaic — a hot start catapults the Yankees into the limelight, then a cold ending wipes them out.

Cortes has struggled through the team's tough stretch, but he has made the playoffs in three of the four seasons he's played with the team. The Yankees reached the American League Championship Series in 2019 and 2022, but lost in a wild card spot against the Red Sox in 2021.

Cortes has compiled a 4-8 record with a 3.67 ERA, a 1.12 WHIP, and 110 strikeouts across 115 ⅓ innings this season.