CINCINNATI — With the All-Star Game around the corner, Aaron Boone, manager of the New York Yankees, finds himself contemplating his options regarding the American League’s starting pitcher. There is anticipation that the choice might fall on one of his own, Max Fried.
In an impressive showing, Fried became the first pitcher in the MLB to achieve ten wins this season, leading the Yankees to a 7-1 triumph against the Cincinnati Reds on Wednesday night. Boone expressed his views on Fried’s potential in the upcoming mid-summer classic on July 15 in Atlanta, “It’s still down the road. We’ll see. He’s definitely making a strong case.”
Fried’s performance was commendable, allowing only four hits and one unearned run, while striking out seven opponents, which boosted his record to 10-2. He joins a prestigious list of Yankees pitchers since 1962 to reach double-digit victories early in the season, a feat last achieved by CC Sabathia in 2011 and Tommy John in 1979.
Reflecting on his success, Fried commented, “I guess it’s cool but we’re all here just trying to win games. A lot of it is credit to my teammates. It’s nice, but that’s more of a team stat than an individual one.”
Fried showcases leadership and skill, filling the gap left by Gerrit Cole, who is out for the year following Tommy John surgery. This season, Fried has excelled, with four starts featuring a minimum of seven innings without allowing an earned run. This achievement ties him with Detroit’s Tarik Skubal and San Diego’s Nick Pivetta.
Boasting a 1.92 ERA and having pitched 108 innings, Fried stands as the second in the major leagues. Yankees third baseman Jazz Chisholm Jr. praised Fried’s contribution to the team, “Ever since Cole went down, he’s shown us why they paid him what they paid him and why he’s the guy we thought he was going to be. Especially someone who I played against for four or five years, to play behind him now is amazing. I always give him his prop and his flowers, but now he can take them any time he wants.”
Fried’s performance, particularly his 1.92 ERA, is the third-lowest a Yankees pitcher has achieved in his first 17 starts since earned runs became an official stat in 1913. In almost every start, except for two, he has allowed two or fewer earned runs. When bouncing back from Yankees’ losses, he is especially effective, boasting an 8-1 record with a 0.93 ERA in ten starts.
Boone emphasized the difficulty of maintaining such consistency, “I mean 10 wins in half a season, it’s not easy to do in any era, especially now. But that’s just a testament to how good and efficient he’s been. Whether it’s coming off a loss or extending a streak, his consistency has been great. “I told him again today ‘just watching you more and more, I would not have wanted to hit off you.’ He’s got so many weapons out there and there’s just so much movement to all his pitches, he’s been terrific.”
Returning to the topic of the All-Star Game, Fried’s potential involvement adds a layer of intrigue as he returns to Atlanta, where he spent the first eight seasons of his career before joining the Yankees. Nonetheless, Fried remains focused on the present, “I’ve got a handful of starts to go before the break. A lot can happen between now and then. Just focused on the next one in five or six days. I will deal with it when it gets here.”