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Former NY Mets prospect with a 1.121 OPS is suddenly one of MLB's hottest hitters

He was right under our noses all this time.
Apr 26, 2026; Arlington, Texas, USA;  Athletics left fielder Carlos Cortes (26) hits a two-run triple during the first inning against the Texas Rangers at Globe Life Field. Mandatory Credit: Raymond Carlin III-Imagn Images
Apr 26, 2026; Arlington, Texas, USA; Athletics left fielder Carlos Cortes (26) hits a two-run triple during the first inning against the Texas Rangers at Globe Life Field. Mandatory Credit: Raymond Carlin III-Imagn Images | Raymond Carlin III-Imagn Images

If you follow New York Mets minor league baseball at all, you’ll remember the name. Carlos Cortes wasn’t a highly rated prospect nor was he ever believed to be a truly impactful major league player. At his absolute best, fans envisioned him as a sort of utility player who could have taken on the same role as Jeff McNeil in the future.

Following another good but not great year in the Triple-A featuring a .246 batting average and 16 home runs, the Mets and Cortes parted ways after the 2024 season. It was his third season in Syracuse. Nothing was about to budge.

He caught on with the city-less Athletics on a minor league deal only to debut in 2025 with a whole load of success. It has continued into 2026 where he right now sits among the American League leaderboards.

Carlos Cortes was a longtime Mets prospect never given a MLB at-bat now dominating the AL

Playing mostly right field for the Athletics this year, Cortes is a .377/.433/.689 hitter with 4 home runs and 13 RBI. On the Mets, the home run total would be tied with Francisco Alvarez. The RBI overtakes Bo Bichette and Brett Baty who both have 12.

Cortes hasn’t even played a whole lot. This is over 22 games and 67 plate appearances. Bichette has had 123 plate appearances.

It’s a leg up to play home games in Sacramento for A’s hitters. However, Cortes has superior numbers on the road. All of his home runs plus a .415/.455/.829 slash line came in road greys or some other alternative jersey. A recent two-home run game with both coming off of Nathan Eovaldi has helped his numbers go from good to great.

Although he lacks the plate appearances to qualify for some numbers, he has enough trips to the plate for us to acknowledge last year was no fluke. Signs were there. He hit .309/.323/.543 in his first 99 plate appearances for the Athletics in 2025. Among those stats were 4 home runs and 13 RBI. He’s a game away from blasting past those.

When it rains, it pours. The Mets are drenched right now with the players they added. Ones they let walk away, even on the smallest of scales such as Cortes, turn that heavy rain into a full flood.

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