Max Fried Leads Yankees to Season-Opening Win

SAN FRANCISCO — Max Fried joined the Yankees before last season, aiming to be a top starter alongside Gerrit Cole. However, when Cole had to sit out the entire season due to Tommy John surgery, Fried stepped up as the ace of the rotation.

Now, with Cole nearing a return sometime in late May or early June, the duo is expected to form a powerful one-two punch right from the start.

Fried continued his strong performance on Wednesday, pitching 6¹/₃ scoreless innings in a 7-0 victory against the Giants at Oracle Park. Interestingly, he started the game with a four-pitch walk to the aggressive Luis Arraez, followed by a single from Rafael Devers.

Despite those early hiccups, Fried navigated through the inning unscathed. After the Yankees established a five-run lead in the second inning, the left-hander found his rhythm and cruised through the remainder of the game.

He managed to throw 10 of 11 pitches after Devers’ hit, showcasing resilience to reach the seventh inning even while being limited to around 90 pitches.

Fried exited after throwing 86 pitches, exhibiting dominance from the very first inning, although he later mentioned not having his best stuff—a sentiment that manager Aaron Boone echoed.

“This outing was about figuring things out when you’re not entirely locked in,” Fried commented. “You have to struggle through it sometimes.”

Boone praised Fried’s diverse skill set, stating, “He can beat you in a lot of different ways. His arsenal is so vast that you have to consider various factors.”

Fried’s pitching repertoire includes a four-seam fastball, cutter, sinker, and curveball, along with variations like sweepers, changeups, and sliders. Boone noted that Fried’s cutter wasn’t as effective as usual, which made his four-seamer even more crucial.

All of this contributed to a significant advantage over San Francisco’s ace, Logan Webb.

Fried’s performance shone, especially after that shaky first inning, where he recognized the challenge as soon as he faced Willie Adams and John F. Lee.

“He dialed in more quickly and got ahead in counts,” Austin Wells observed.

Fried expressed that the early five-run cushion helped alleviate pressure during the game. “It gives you more room for error and lets you be proactive and adapt,” he asserted.

Ryan McMahon added to the accolades, dismissing any notion that Fried’s status was anything less than outstanding in his first start. “He really knows how to pitch,” McMahon said. “Even if he claims he wasn’t at his best, what he did was impressive. He knows how to compete, and we all feed off of that.”