It’s still only been three weeks and nine appearances, but Jimmy Cordero is already starting to fit snugly into the mold formed by the likes of Clay Holmes, Wandy Peralta, Lucas Luetge, Scott Effross, or Joely Rodríguez, among others. Relievers with unique traits or, as with Cordero, outlier stuff just a few tweaks away from being translated into elite results. Cordero’s early 3.24 ERA (three runs in 8.2 innings) with 11 punchouts and a single base on balls isn’t elite — yet — but it’s definitely exciting enough to warrant a closer look.
In his case, the outlier stuff the Yankees were drawn to when they signed him to a minor league deal prior to the 2022 season is top-of-the-line velocity that certainly doesn’t come easy, aesthetically speaking, but is as consistent as it gets.