May 13, 2025; Seattle, Washington, USA; New York Yankees starting pitcher Max Fried (54) pitches to the Seattle Mariners during the first inning at T-Mobile Park. Mandatory Credit: Steven Bisig-Imagn Images Steven Bisig-Imagn Images

Max Fried Joins Yankees History After Dominant Start

Originally posted on New York Yankees on SI
By Jack Markowski | Last updated May 19, 2025 3:00 PM ET

New York Yankees starting pitcher Max Fried has entered rarefied air amidst a dominant beginning to the 2025 campaign.

After a brilliant outing against the New York Mets on Sunday Night Baseball in which he allowed just two runs over six innings while striking out eight batters, Fried's ERA sits at a sparkling 1.29 for the year.

According to MLB.com's Sarah Langs, that mark is the second-lowest for a Yankees starter through the first 10 starts of a season in franchise history behind Phil Niekro's 1.20 ERA in 1984.

Lowest ERA in first 10 starts of season, Yankees since ER official (1913):

1984 Phil Niekro: 1.20
2025 Max Fried: 1.29
1952 Allie Reynolds: 1.31 https://t.co/Bo5wxF1svG
— Sarah Langs (@SlangsOnSports) May 19, 2025

Niekro, a Hall of Famer known for his knuckleball, finished that campaign with a 4.6 bWAR and 3.09 ERA over 31 starts while also making the All-Star team, which is a positive omen for Fried.

Allie Reynolds, whose 1.31 ERA over his first 10 outings in 1952 ranks just behind Fried, closed out that season with a league-best 2.06 ERA, earning him a trip to the Midsummer Classic as well as a second-place finish in AL MVP voting.

Fried has exceeded even the wildest expectations bestowed upon him after signing an eight-year, $218 million deal with the Yankees in free agency this past offseason.

Profiling as the club's splash move after losing out on Juan Soto to the Mets, whom he struck out twice on Sunday, Fried's 1.29 ERA currently tops the leaderboard amongst all qualified pitchers.

The 31-year-old was stellar throughout his entire eight-year stint with the Atlanta Braves, recording a 3.07 ERA over 168 games and 884 1/3 innings while also helping the franchise win the World Series in 2021, but he's on pace for what would be the best season of his career by a wide margin.

There was some concern about the Yankees' rotation once Gerrit Cole and Luis Gil went down with injuries before the year even commenced, but Fried has done his part and then some to quiet that noise.

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