Yankees transform Max Fried's pitch arsenal, reminiscent of Braves era.
Staggering Success: Max Fried's Transformation with the New York Yankees
The New York Yankees are sailing smoothly with a 21-16 record, maintaining a two-game advantage over the Boston Red Sox in the American League East. While their pitching staff continues to spark questions, one name that's turning heads is Max Fried, the Yankees' new ace. At 6-0 in eight starts, his phenomenal performance has been the lifeblood of the team's pitching department.
Yankees pitching coach Matt Blake disclosed to The Athletic's Ken Rosenthal that Fried's metamorphosis from his time with the Atlanta Braves stems from a desire for exploration into cutting-edge technology and metrics[1]. Blake shared that the Yankees have been focusing on deciphering the intricacies of Fried's pitches, why they move, and what his body is doing to generate such movement.
The Athletic's pitching expert, Eno Sarris, shed more light on Fried's evolution, stating that his sinker, curveball, and changeup have gained an increased drop[2]. Additionally, he has been incorporating more sweepers, and his Stuff+ mix has experienced a remarkable surge. Blake seems to have struck gold with Fried, reinvigorating the Yankees' season.
Max Fried: The Yankees' Lifeline Amidst Challenges
When the Yankees recruited Fried during the offseason, the plan was to create an unstoppable one-two punch alongside Gerrit Cole. However, an unfortunate season-ending Tommy John surgery for the latter left weighty expectations on Fried's shoulders. But the lefthander has been nothing short of spectacular through his eight starts.
In his inaugural outing, Fried received a lackluster defensive support but found backing from the offense. He yielded six runs, only two of which were earned, in 4.2 innings in a 20-9 win over the Milwaukee Brewers. Since then, he has dispensed 47 innings, conceding only four earned runs and amassing six wins. In his absence, the Yankees' outlook would have been drastically different.
Currently, Fried stands as the MLB leader in several categories, including starts, wins, ERA, innings pitched, and ERA+[3]. While players like Will Warren, recently designated for assignment, Carlos Carrasco, and Marcus Stroman have underperformed, Fried has provided respite for the bullpen and breathing room for the offense.
Fried's meteoric rise can be attributed to several factors: pitch execution, command, team dynamics, and an element of novelty in confronting new hitters. His versatility, control, mental resilience, physical readiness, and ability to adapt to new opponents have all played vital roles in his remarkable success story.
- In this season, Max Fried's changeup, along with his sinker and curveball, has reportedly gained an increased drop, as disclosed by The Athletic's pitching expert, Eno Sarris.
- As the Yankees' new ace, Max Fried has been a lifeline for the team, especially after Gerrit Cole's season-ending injury required a Tommy John surgery.
- Matched against various hitters in the MLB this season, Fried's versatility, control, mental resilience, physical readiness, and adaptability have all contributed to his striking success.
- Despite challenges faced by other pitchers such as Will Warren, Carlos Carrasco, and Marcus Stroman, Max Fried has provided relief to the Yankees' bullpen and support to the offense with his impressive performance.
