{"id":51560,"date":"2025-05-27T08:05:37","date_gmt":"2025-05-27T08:05:37","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/usatoday.azontree.com\/?p=51560"},"modified":"2025-05-27T08:05:37","modified_gmt":"2025-05-27T08:05:37","slug":"ace-max-fried-is-doing-something-no-yankees-pitcher-ever-has","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/usatoday.azontree.com\/?p=51560","title":{"rendered":"Ace Max Fried Is Doing Something No Yankees Pitcher Ever Has"},"content":{"rendered":"<div id=\"post-featured-container-id\">\n<div id=\"post-featured\" class=\"has-video wp-caption \">\n<div class=\"h-responsive\">\n<figure class=\"h-responsive__inner\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"attachment-featured-image size-featured-image wp-post-image\" src=\"https:\/\/heavy.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/GettyImages-2217002048-e1748324020666.jpg?quality=65&amp;strip=all&amp;w=780\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 820px) 95vw, 780px\" srcset=\"https:\/\/heavy.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/GettyImages-2217002048-e1748324020666.jpg?quality=65&amp;strip=all&amp;w=780 780w, https:\/\/heavy.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/GettyImages-2217002048-e1748324020666.jpg?quality=15&amp;strip=all&amp;w=1100 1100w, https:\/\/heavy.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/GettyImages-2217002048-e1748324020666.jpg?quality=35&amp;strip=all&amp;w=1350 1350w\" alt=\"Max Fried\" width=\"780\" height=\"439\" data-img-load-time=\"496\" data-dom-ready-time=\"642\" \/><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"wp-caption-text\"><span class=\"caption-credit\">Getty<\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"featured-widget-area\">\n<div id=\"heavy_multi_stn_video_player_widget-4\" class=\"stn-player-cls stn-player-container\">\n<div data-stn-player=\"8efwxt1u\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>Max Fried\u2019s early-season dominance with the\u00a0New York Yankees\u00a0has drawn comparisons to Hall of Famer Pedro Mart\u00ednez.\u00a0Through late May, Fried leads the majors with a 1.29 ERA, pairing elite command with composure to validate his unbeaten 7-0 record.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIt\u2019s the second time in MLB since 1969 that a pitcher has had at least seven wins, no losses and an ERA under 1.50 entering Memorial Day,\u201d Sporting News said.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThe first? Pedro Martinez with the Expos in 1997, when he was 8-0 with a 1.17 ERA. The comparison came courtesy of\u00a0OptaStats.\u201d<\/p>\n<h3><b>A Historic Start in Pinstripes<\/b><\/h3>\n<p>Fried\u2019s transition to the Yankees has been seamless. In a\u00a0recent game\u00a0against the\u00a0Colorado Rockies, he delivered a commanding performance, allowing just one run over 7 1\/3 innings and executing two pickoffs at first base within three innings.<\/p>\n<p>This display of skill left both teammates and opponents in awe.<\/p>\n<p>His ability to control the running game, combined with his pitching prowess, has been a significant asset to the Yankees\u2019 rotation. Fried\u2019s pickoff move, described as \u201cdisgusting\u201d by teammate Cody Bellinger, continues to be a critical component of his game.<\/p>\n<h3>Drawing Parallels<\/h3>\n<p>Fried\u2019s dominance has led to comparisons with Pedro Mart\u00ednez, one of the most formidable pitchers in baseball history. Mart\u00ednez\u2019s\u00a0peak years\u00a0were marked by exceptional control, a diverse pitch arsenal, and an uncanny ability to dominate hitters.<\/p>\n<p>Similarly, Fried\u2019s pitching style, characterized by a 94\u201395 mph fastball, a sharp curveball, and a deceptive pickoff move, mirrors the attributes that made Mart\u00ednez a legend. Both pitchers exhibit a blend of finesse and power, making them formidable opponents on the mound.<\/p>\n<p>Fried lowered his ERA to 1.29, becoming the first Yankees pitcher since earned runs became an official stat in 1913 to maintain a sub-1.30 ERA across his first 10 starts of a season.<\/p>\n<p>There has been \u201conly three pitchers [who] have ever had a lower ERA in their first 11 starts with a new franchise over the last 30 seasons,\u201d MLB\u2019s Sarah Lang said. These three include: Justin Verlander in 2017 and \u201918, Lance Lynn in 2021, and Randy Johnson in 1998.<\/p>\n<p>It\u2019s a stunning achievement considering the long list of legendary arms that have worn pinstripes\u2013from Whitey Ford to Ron Guidry to Gerrit Cole.<\/p>\n<h3><b>Overcoming Adversity<\/b><\/h3>\n<p>Fried\u2019s journey to this point has been marked by resilience. He underwent Tommy John surgery in 2014 and faced doubts about his MLB potential during the 2017 season. However, these challenges have shaped his mental toughness and approach to the game.<\/p>\n<p>His personal experiences, including his Jewish heritage and participation in the Maccabiah Games, have also influenced his perspective, allowing him to handle the pressures of a $218 million contract and the expectations that come with leading the Yankees\u2019 rotation.<\/p>\n<p>The Yankees\u2019 decision to sign Fried to an eight-year, $218 million contract was a strategic move following the departure of Juan Soto. General Manager Brian Cashman emphasized that the team\u2019s interest in Fried extended beyond monetary considerations, highlighting his pitching versatility and reliability.<\/p>\n<p>Fried\u2019s\u00a0addition\u00a0has fortified the Yankees\u2019 pitching staff, providing a formidable presence on the roster. His performance has been instrumental in the Yankees\u2019 strong start to the season, leading the AL East by six games.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Getty Max Fried\u2019s early-season dominance with the\u00a0New York Yankees\u00a0has drawn comparisons to Hall of Famer Pedro Mart\u00ednez.\u00a0Through late May, Fried leads the majors with a 1.29 ERA,&#8230; <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":51561,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-51560","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-mlb"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v23.8 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>Ace Max Fried Is Doing Something No Yankees Pitcher Ever Has - 24\/7 News America<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/usatoday.azontree.com\/?p=51560\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Ace Max Fried Is Doing Something No Yankees Pitcher Ever Has - 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