He has ultimately helped the Yankees remain in first in the AL East, which has thinned to a 3.5 game cushion over the Toronto Blue Jays. But Fried has been the Yankees’ best offseason acquisition, making it difficult for Tarik Skubal to earn back-to-back Cy Youngs in his career.
Can Max Fried win the AL Cy Young?
Fried has been leaned on, considering rookie Luis Gil has missed this season with a lat injury. With Gerrit Cole not being in the rotation, having Fried has been a saving grace for the Yankees this season.
His 10-2 record alongside his 1.92 ERA with 104 strikeouts and a 0.94 WHIP. Talk about impressive for the ground-ball-inducing pitcher who ranks in the 89th percentile with a 53.1 percent ground-ball rate.
Comparing Max Fried to Tarik Skubal
Tarik Skubal and Max Fried are both ace pitchers in MLB, but they have different strengths and track records. Skubal, with the Tigers, is known for his high strikeout rate and low walk rate, making him a dominant force on the mound.
Both of their accolades they have earned in their careers have solified their roles as aces who have dominated so far this season.
He has been particularly lights out in his recent outings, with a low ERA and a historic strikeout-to-walk ratio. Fried is a more established veteran, with a strong win-loss record, a good ERA, and multiple Gold Glove awards.
Why Max Fried should be favored to win the AL Cy Young
While Skubal has the potential to challenge him for the Cy Young award, Fried’s experience and consistency make him a formidable opponent.
Fried also has 82 wins, 38 losses, and a 2.9 ERA with 960 strikeouts in his career, whereas Skubal this season has a 1.66 ERA over his last 10 outings with an impressive strikeout-to-walk ratio, and is pushing to win the AL Cy Young again.
This season, Skubal has a 3.4 WAR, 2.29 ERA, and 125 strikeouts. In addition, he has shown his consistent boost in his fastball velocity in the last few seasons.
At this point, it will be a toss-up as to who wins Cy Young, as both are dominating starting pitching in the AL.
Fried will have plenty of competition from Skubal and Hunter Brown, assuming the Astros pitcher stays healthy, as it’s a long season.
Where Fried is lacking is in analytical departments, especially K/9 and batting average against. This could very well cost him a realistic chance at the award, though the traditionalists will obviously disagree.
