A Moment To Appreciate The Awesomeness That Is Carlos Cortes

TL;DR

Carlos Cortes, a former minor league free agent, is currently batting .387 with impressive stats for the Athletics. His success is attributed to regular playing time, contrasting with his previous stint with the Mets.

Key points

Carlos Cortes is batting .387 with a .694 slugging percentage.
He has a 10.0% walk rate and a 5.7% strikeout rate this season.
Cortes' wOBA is .495, indicating exceptional offensive performance.
He has shown improvement due to regular playing time with the Athletics.

Carlos CortesAthleticsTexas RangersMets

ARLINGTON, TEXAS - APRIL 25: Carlos Cortes #26 of the Athletics reacts after hitting a double against the Texas Rangers during the eighth inning at Globe Life Field on April 25, 2026 in Arlington, Texas. (Photo by Ron Jenkins/Getty Images) | Getty Images A minor league free agent. A mediocre minor league hitter whose average generally hovered in the .240s-.250s. Mostly an afterthought of fans discussing the Opening Day roster. That’s Carlos Cortes. Carlos Cortes is also the player who is batting .387/.457/.694, 214 wRC+, 1.151 OPS, with a 10.0% BB rate and 5.7% K rate. He’s 4 for 4 this season against LHPs and 6 for 9 in his career. Last week’s Player of the Week started the new week by coming off the bench (???) to add 3 plate appearances to his season: a HBP, a walk, and a single. When asked why his minor league stats with the Mets were so pedestrian and his MiLB/MLB numbers with the A’s so improved, Cortes pointed to regular playing time that he never got with the Mets. Which makes it all the more odd that despite attributing his success to regular playing time, being the hottest hitter in MLB right now, and yet to be retired by a left-handed pitcher this season, Cortes found himself sitting at the start of last night’s game. Perhaps it was divine intervention that Tyler Soderstrom jarred his body diving for a base hit, opening up a clear spot for Cortes for at least the time being. Here’s a bold prediction: When he celebrates his 29th birthday on June 30th, Cortes won’t be hitting .387 for the season or .340 for his career. But it’s still worth noting that the sample is growing and the available indicators don’t scream “fluke!” so much as they explain his success. The sample for Cortes’ career is now up to 169 PA, which is still considered to be tiny. But he is already in the territory of some metrics that tend to stabilize quickly and his Statcast page reads like a Hall of Famer. Specifically, along with walking nearly twice as often as he strikes out, here are some eye-popping stats to savor on this sunny Wednesday:

Q&A

What are Carlos Cortes' current batting statistics for the Athletics?

Carlos Cortes is batting .387 with a .457 on-base percentage and a .694 slugging percentage.

Why did Carlos Cortes struggle with the Mets before joining the Athletics?

Cortes attributed his struggles with the Mets to a lack of regular playing time, which he has since received with the Athletics.

How does Carlos Cortes' performance compare to other players in the league?

Cortes ranks in the 100th percentile for strikeout percentage and has a wOBA of .495, which is significantly higher than last year's MVP Aaron Judge's .463.

What factors contribute to Carlos Cortes' current success in MLB?

Cortes' success is driven by a high walk rate, low strikeout rate, and advanced metrics indicating strong contact and discipline at the plate.