Max Fried has been as advertised and then some for the New York Yankees.
An eight-year, $218 million free agent contract hasn’t fazed him, and he threw another gem Tuesday night in a dominant win over the Kansas City Royals.
With that victory, Fried has put up a stat not surpassed since 1966.
OptaStats shared that Fried has a plus-62 run differential through 14 starts. The last time a pitcher had a better run differential through this many starts was 1944, when the St. Louis Cardinals’ Ted Wilks was a plus-66.
That year, the Cardinals won the World Series.
Yankees fans will gladly take that omen, although they know that it’ll take more than just Fried to avenge their 2024 Fall Classic defeat.
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They need to get healthy in the depths of their rotation, with the likes of Luis Gil and Marcus Stroman trying to work their way back from injury.
New York is without Gerrit Cole regardless after he underwent Tommy John surgery before Opening Day.
Fried has been everything he could be, with a 9-1 record and 1.84 ERA. Eight of his wins have come the game directly after a Yankees loss.
He’s already putting himself in the discussion among the best left-handers in a legendary franchise history (although he’ll also need longevity to really match the likes of Ron Guidry and Whitey Ford).
For now, the Yankees have to be happy knowing that every time Fried takes the hill, they’ve got a chance at a comfortable victory.
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