Max Fried’s Call to Tarik Skubal for All-Star Start

Tarik Skubal found out he would be starting in the American League for the All-Star Game after receiving a call from Max Fried. The Yankees pitcher reached out to Skubal, asking if he wanted to take the mound, saying, “I think you deserve it.”

Skubal recalled Fried asking, “I was wondering if you wanted to start it.” This conversation seemed to carry a lot of weight for Skubal, who expressed that it was a really neat moment for him.

Now, Yankees manager Aaron Boone had managed the American League after clinching the pennant in 2024, but he was mentioned in news just a day later regarding his decision to start National League pitcher Paul Skenes in the Midsummer Classic.

It’s not exactly clear when Skubal and Fried had this chat, but Fried, who spent eight seasons with the Braves before his $218 million free-agent move, ended up becoming a last-minute replacement for Carlos Rodon in last week’s All-Star lineup.

This game took place at Truist Park in Atlanta, where Fried was performing at an impressive level—his ERA hovered around 1.92 at this point in July.

Skubal reflected positively on the call, saying, “A lot of plot,” as Boone discussed Fried’s transition to being in the All-Star Game. It seems like a tight turnaround, considering Fried pitched just three innings and threw 73 pitches before dealing with blisters—a recurring issue for him in prior seasons.

Last season, Skubal took home the American League Cy Young Award and, at just 28 years old, stands out as one of the elite pitchers in Major League Baseball, alongside Skenes.

In his first 19 outings of 2025, Skubal compiled a fantastic 2.23 ERA, allowing three or more earned runs only four times, all while consistently going six innings or more in those games.