Back in the winter of 2024, shortly after the Yankees missed out on Juan Soto, they quickly pivoted and signed Max Fried to a mammoth eight-year, $218 million contract. The left-hander, one of the highest-profile pitchers in that 2024-25 offseason, was seen as a luxury for some fans, who deemed his signing unnecessary because their rotation was full and their offense was the unit needing a big splash after losing the superstar slugger.
Time proved that bringing in Fried was the right decision, mainly because quality pitching depth in MLB is invaluable. Gerrit Cole blew out his elbow in spring training, Marcus Stroman was a disaster, and Clarke Schmidt had not one, but two injury list stints, the last of them forcing him to miss the rest of the season and a big chunk of 2026. Carlos Rodón had his best season as a Yankee, and Will Warren and Cam Schlittler eventually broke out and became contributors. The glue that held it all together, however, was Fried.
2025 Stats: 195.1 IP, 2.86 ERA, 3.07 FIP, 1.10 WHIP, 8.71 K/9, 2.35 BB/9, 0.65 HR/9, 4.8 fWAR
2026 ZiPS Projections: 189 IP, 3.35 ERA, 3.43 FIP, 1.18 WHIP, 8.37 K/9, 2.58 BB/9, 0.82 HR/9, 3.9 fWAR
Fried’s 195.1 innings were the second-most in the American League behind Garrett Crochet, and he ranked fourth in the majors. During times of quick hooks, phantom injured list stints, and cautious workloads, the Yankees got elite durability for their money, at least in year one. And despite a 5.54 ERA in July and a 5.14 mark in August that made some people think he had turned into a pumpkin, Fried eased concerns with an elite 1.89 ERA in September. His final 2.86 ERA was the fourth-best in the junior circuit among qualifiers.
But this isn’t about what Fried did, which is basically the same thing he has been doing since making his MLB debut in 2017: dominate. This is about what he will, or could, do in 2026 as the Yankees make another run at the title. At least from the start of the season, Fried will be expected to carry the rotation with his flawless combination of availability and effectiveness. Cole could be back in May or even April, but he is 35 and is coming off major elbow surgery. He could conceivably return to ace form and status, but it would be unfair to expect him to lead the Yankees staff in 2026. Instead, the Yankees will rely on Fried, who has started 61 games in the last two years and hasn’t finished with an ERA above 3.25 since 2019.
Stuff-wise, Fried remains excellent. He got fantastic results with his curveball last year, earning a 42 percent whiff rate on the pitch, and used a whopping six different offerings at least 10 percent of the time: his cutter, sinker, curveball, four-seamer, sweeper, and changeup, with some sliders sprinkled in. A deep repertoire, a clear out pitch, and elite command make Fried one of the most underrated aces of our time. He won’t touch the triple digits with his heater, but the pitch had a renaissance last year and averaged 95.8 mph. That’s the highest of his career and almost two ticks over the 93.9 mph he averaged in 2024 with the Braves.
Basically, Fried hit another gear with the Yankees, and a blister issue in July is at least partially to blame for his summer struggles. He was cruising before that, and returned to dominance once he regained full health. His Statcast profile is full of red, an awfully encouraging development with 2026 in mind:
That’s exactly what you want to see from an ace and what you can expect from Fried this year: elite groundball rate, above-average velocity, fantastic contact management, and pinpoint command. Still in his prime at 32, throwing well, and motivated by playing on a perennial contender, Fried looks ready to deliver another fine campaign in pinstripes. Don’t be surprised if, barring injuries, the 2026 season is even better for him, at least individually.
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