“It was nice to just put the spikes on and get into a real game atmosphere, having some runners on base and having a defense behind me,” Fried said, per MLB.com. “[I’ve had] a lot of live BPs, just throwing to a hitter and guessing what happens. I’m getting into the swing of things, feeling the competitive juices again, and getting out healthy. I feel like I checked all the boxes.”
The Yankees pummeled the Pirates 12-3 in the game. Yankees manager Aaron Boone liked what he saw from Fried.
“The stuff was really good; he was up to 97 [mph], and I was like, ‘Oh, it’s a little hot there,’” Boone said. “I think he flashed a little bit of everything. You saw the good curveball, the good changeup. So I think it was a really good step for him.”
Fried joined the Bronx Bombers this offseason in free agency. Fried is one of several new Yankees, including Paul Goldschmidt and Cody Bellinger.
Max Fried joins a powerful Yankees starting rotation
The Yankees bolstered their rotation with Fried this offseason. He’s tasked with helping support Gerrit Cole and others so New York can return to the World Series.
The Yankees lost in last year’s championship to the Los Angeles Dodgers in five games. New York allowed Shohei Ohtani and Freddie Freeman, among others, to score a whole bunch of runs.
Yankees fans hope Fried can help in that department. Thirty-one of the pitcher’s 49 pitches went for strikes against the Pirates. That clearly gives Yankees fans some hope. Fried also hung out with former team star Roger Clemens after his outing.
“It was really cool to be able to sit there and pick the brain of a guy that’s won seven Cy Young [Awards],” Fried added. “You sit and listen to whatever he has to say. The fact that he was able to sit and watch and give me some feedback on things he saw and just pitching in general, it’s really special.”
Fried won 11 games in 29 starts last season for the Atlanta Braves. He finished the 2024 campaign with a 3.25 ERA. Fried is a World Series champion with Atlanta, who also went to two All-Star Games.
New York continues spring training games on Tuesday. The team plays Philadelphia.
