Two New York Yankees players were finalists for 2025 Gold Glove Awards, and as awards season gets underway, one has emerged as the best defender in the MLB at his position.

Yankees starting pitcher Max Fried has won the Gold Glove Award for the pitcher position in 2025 — the fourth of his career, and his first as a Yankee.

Yankees third baseman Ryan McMahon, who was acquired at the trade deadline from the Colorado Rockies, was passed over for the award at his position, losing to Cincinnati Reds third baseman Ke’Bryan Hayes.

This season, Fried relayed a story about McMahon’s work ethic since joining the team, sharing that McMahon wanted Fried to get him the ball as much as possible.

“He wants the ball,” Max Fried said in September, h/t the New York Post’s Dan Martin. “He tells me every day, ‘Get me the ball. Get me as much as you can today.’ When you have someone over there, that’s really excited about fielding the ball and being a part of it, the plays he makes take a lot of pressure off of you. I am really happy that he’s over there.”

In 2025, Max Fried was one of the Yankees’ most reliable starters, finishing the regular season with a 2.86 ERA in 32 games, with a 19-5 record (the best in the league).

Sep 30, 2025; Bronx, New York, USA; New York Yankees pitcher Max Fried (54) reacts after a play at the top of the sixth inning against Boston Red Sox during game one of the Wildcard round for the 2025 MLB playoffs at Yankee Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-Imagn Images / Brad Penner-Imagn Images

Fried in Pinstripes

Fried went through one rough patch this season, which coincided with a blister he was dealing with during the All Star break. The minor injury kept him out of the All Star Game, and when he returned to regular play, he had a seven-game stretch that had everyone questioning his abilities. Fried headed into the All Star break with a 1.92 ERA, and in a seven-game stretch of starts following the break, logged a 6.00 ERA. He managed to pull it back together, clearly, and is expected to be a regular part of the Yankees’ starting rotation again in 2026.

Fried made his MLB debut with the Atlanta Braves in 2017 and played there until 2024. He won his first three Gold Gloves with the Braves, in 2020, 2021 (when he won the World Series with them) and 2022. Fried is currently on an eight-year, $218 million contract with the Yankees, which he signed in December 2024. The surest starters for the beginning of the Yankees’ 2026 season are Fried and young upstart Cam Schlittler, who burst onto the scene from Triple-A this past summer.

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