Pair of Former Toronto Blue Jays Pitchers Make New York Yankees World Series Roster

Despite being out for more than a month with elbow issues, left-handed pitcher Nestor Cortes has made the New York Yankees World Series roster. It appears as if Cortes will pitch out of the bullpen.

While Cortes making the roster isn’t surprising, it is surprising to see that his inclusion didn’t come at the expense of either left-handed reliever Tim Mayza or former All-Star Marcus Stroman. The Yankees elected to keep Cortes over utility player Jon Berti, giving the team an extra pitcher on the roster.

While disappointing for Berti, it is good to see both of the former Blue Jays hurlers make the roster.

The 32-year-old Mayza went 0-2 with a 6.33 ERA in 50 games this season. He has thrown 1.1 scoreless innings in these playoffs. He’ll pair with Cortes and Tim Hill as lefties in the bullpen, which could be big considering the presence of Shohei Ohtani and Freddie Freeman in the Dodgers lineup.

Mayza spent parts of seven years with the Blue Jays. He went 20-8 for Toronto with a 3.87 ERA, helping them to the playoffs in 2020, 2022 and 2023.

Stroman went 10-9 this season for New York, pitching to a 4.31 ERA. The 33-year-old Long Island native made 30 appearances with 29 starts. He has not appeared in a game during these playoffs.

The 10-year veteran is 87-85 lifetime with a 3.72 ERA. Stroman is the former ace of the Blue Jays but has also pitched for the Mets and Chicago Cubs. He made the All-Star Game with Toronto in 2019 and Chicago in 2023.

Stroman made his debut with Toronto in 2014 and won double-digit games in two separate seasons with the Jays. He helped Toronto reach the ALCS in both the 2015 and 2016 seasons.

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