Yankees Pitcher Vows to Make Up for Ugly Finish

Gerrit Cole went down, and Max Fried put the New York Yankees on his back. He would have had more Cy Young consideration were it not for Tarik Skubal, but there aren't many pitchers walking this Earth better than him right now.

While yes, it was a career year for Fried, who threw the most innings he has had in the majors, and his 2.86 ERA was the second-lowest in a season in which he threw 100 innings, this is unfortunately New York. It is specifically the Yankees.

Regular success is respected, but the real goal is bringing home a 28th championship. In the biggest game of the year, Fried was knocked around by the Toronto Blue Jays, allowing seven earned runs in three innings. It was a pivotal loss that crushed the Yankees' chances of returning to the Fall Classic.

Jul 23, 2025; Toronto, Ontario, CAN; New York Yankees pitcher Max Fried (54) walks back to the mound after his throwing error allowed two Toronto Blue Jays to score in the fifth inning at Rogers Centre. Mandatory Credit: Dan Hamilton-Imagn Images | Dan Hamilton-Imagn Images

On the other side of the field, he was out pitched by rookie Trey Yesavage. Yesavage tossed 5.1 innings, struck out 11, and didn't allow an earned run.

Fried's Motivation

If there is one person who understands how bad that Fried start in Toronto was more than anybody else, it is probably the de facto ace, Fried himself. According to Fried, that ugly outing lit a fire under him.

"Felt like it was a good year, but at the end, didn't have the start that I needed to make," Fried told reporters on the second day of pitchers and catchers reporting, according to SNY. "It definitely left a bad taste in my mouth and motivated me through the offseason."

Fried, who is well aware of the lore of the Yankee franchise, went on to say that he has one goal. It's an obvious one that the organization has not seen since 2009, and came close to in 2024.

"The end goal is to win a World Series, and if you don't do that, it's not a good year."

Boone on Fried

While Fried was hard on himself, Boone, of course, gave a glowing review of his ace pitcher.

"One of my favorites to get to manage," Boone said of Fried. "When a star player comes in and signs a big deal, you know, he's everything you could have hoped for. Certainly, between the lines, his performance speaks for itself, but who he is, he immediately fit in well with these guys."

A Career 2025 for Fried

That one series in Toronto aside, Fried quietly became one of the best pitchers in the sport. His 4.8 WAR, according to Fangraphs, was the second-highest of his career. Fried was one of 11 pitchers in baseball last season to eclipse the four-win mark.

Fried's stuff also hit another gear in 2025. He averaged 95.8 MPH on his fastball. It was the first time he averaged over 95 in his whole career. He had come off four straight seasons averaging 94 on that heater.

Excited to see what Year 2 looks like for Max Fried in the Bronx. pic.twitter.com/MKqVn0Wn3L
— Ryan Garcia (@RyanGarciaESM) February 12, 2026

That showed with Fried having a 94th percentile fastball with 16 run value, according to Fangraphs. That, too, was a career high. The most run value he has had on his fastball was in 2022. That year, he had a 15 RV.

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