Max Fried set to unveil complex bag of tricks during Yankees debut
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Following an impressive display by Carlos Rodón, who showcased six different pitches during the recent Opening Day victory, Aaron Boone was queried about his expectations regarding Rodón’s evolution from his previous status as a two-pitch pitcher.

“I’m not ready to say he’s going to be Max Fried,” the manager said.

There are not many around the league whose bags of tricks are as deep as the Yankees’ Saturday starting pitcher.

Fried is set to mark his inaugural appearance with the team, having secured a $218 million deal this past winter. With a commendable track record comprising eight successful seasons with the Braves, Fried has consistently displayed a penchant for growth and progression.


Max Fried throws a pitch during the Yankees spring training game March 18.
Max Fried throws a pitch during the Yankees spring training game March 18. IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Having introduced a new pitch into his repertoire last season, Fried now boasts seven distinctive offerings at his disposal. These include a four-seam fastball, sinker, changeup, a highly effective curveball, cutter, and a conventional slider, as well as a more unorthodox sweeping pitch. This diverse selection enables Fried to confound opposing batters effectively.

“I think just having an understanding of how hard it is to hit in general when you’re able to throw a bunch of different looks and also change speeds,” Fried said in camp. “It just adds a different element that they can’t sit there and … look for a fastball or just try to jump the fastball.

“Being able to mix speeds, pitches, breaks, different things like that will just allow me to have a little bit more options.”

His diversity in attack and ability to grow are part of why the Yankees gave a now-31-year-old an eight-year deal, which will begin against the Brewers in The Bronx.

Fried has talked up the technology around the Yankees and hinted (though not explicitly) about tweaks he can make with his new team.

His curveball has been his best pitch through his career, last year rated as the sixth-best curve in terms of Statcast’s Run Value and a pitch opposing hitters batted .154 against.


Max Fried throws a pitch during a live batting practice for the Yankees on Feb. 25.
Max Fried throws a pitch during a live batting practice for the Yankees on Feb. 25. Charles Wenzelberg


During a spring training that went askew for the Yankees, Fried — who missed some time the past two seasons with forearm issues — had no clear issues and built up to 78 pitches during the Grapefruit League.

In the Yankees’ first game, Rodón stepped up.

In a season- and (they hope) postseason-long quest to compensate for the loss of Gerrit Cole, it’s Fried’s turn.

“Obviously we’re going to miss Gerrit,” Fried said Thursday, “but at the same time, whether he was pitching in the rotation or whether he’s not, it doesn’t really change what I have to do at the end of the day.

“When it’s my time to take the ball, I have to be myself and go out there and win the ballgame.”


Especially encouraging Thursday was Mark Leiter Jr., who bounced back from a minor back issue in camp and struck out two in a clean inning.

In 212 major league games, Leiter has thrown 5,147 pitches.

None has been harder than the 95.2 mph fastball he threw to Brice Turang.

His previous high was 93.5 mph, reached once in 2023 and once in ’22.

“I’ve loved what I’ve seen this spring from him,” Boone said. “I feel like his velocity’s ticked up. His stuff is really good right now.”


Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre announced its roster and its rotation, which could prove important for a Yankees team shallow in starting pitchers.

SWB will use Sean Boyle, Erick Leal, Brandon Leibrandt, Zach Messinger and Allan Winans as starters.

With Everson Pereira, Duke Ellis, Ismael Munguia, Grant Richardson and Jose Rojas opening the season as SWB outfielders, top prospect Spencer Jones, who had strikeout issues last year with Double-A Somerset, again will begin play with Somerset.

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