New York Yankees Ace Max Fried Stands Alone in Franchise History After Latest Gem

Even pitching at altutude, Max Fried showed no signs of slowing down Saturday afternoon.

The New York Yankees left-hander went 7.1 innings deep against the Colorado Rockies, allowing six hits, one walk and one earned run with seven strikeouts. The eight-year, $218 million contract New York gave him this past winter is looking more and more like a steal, with Fried's ERA dropping to 1.29 after his latest gem.

According to MLB.com's Sarah Langs, that is good for the lowest ERA by a Yankee through their first 11 starts of a season since earned runs became an official stat in 1913.

Langs also noted that only three pitchers have ever had a lower ERA in their first 11 starts with a new franchise over the last 30 seasons. Justin Verlander tops the list, starring upon his arrival with the Houston Astros in 2017 and 2018, while Lance Lynn's stint with the Chicago White Sox in 2021 ranks second – just above the start of Randy Johnson's tenure with the Astros.

Per Sports Reference's Katie Sharp, Fried's ERA is also good for the lowest by a Yankees pitcher in any 11-start span since Ron Guidry in 1978.

Fried, 31, is 7-0 with a 0.929 WHIP. He already owned a 2.4 WAR prior to Saturday, and that figure is sure to go up.

Between 2020 and 2024, Fried went 54-25 with a 2.81 ERA, 1.093 WHIP and 19.1 WAR with the Atlanta Braves. The two-time All-Star, three-time Gold Glove winner, one-time Silver Slugger and 2021 World Series champion is pacing to add even more hardware to his collection in the Bronx in 2025, given his historic start to the campaign.

The Yankees will now look to claim victory in their series against the Rockies on Sunday. First pitch for the rubber match is scheduled for 3:10 p.m. ET.