When the New York Yankees signed Max Fried to an 8-year, $218 million contract this winter, they expected him to be a solid No. 2 starter. Not only has he been all they could’ve asked for and more, but he’s also been one of the best starting pitchers in baseball thus far. Establishing himself as the ace of the Yankees’ rotation, Fried is almost making everyone forget about Gerrit Cole’s absence.
In March, Cole underwent Tommy John surgery and learned he would be out for the entirety of 2025. This was, and is still, devastating news for the Yankees, who could’ve had one of the best rotations in the majors with a healthy Cole. But Fried’s emergence into the number one starter role, while not too surprising, has also been a blessing for the Yankees’ rotation. After Monday’s 4-3 loss to the Baltimore Orioles, New York’s starters have a combined ERA of 4.15, good for 19th in the majors. Of the 67 earned runs given up by Yankee starters, a mere 5 have come from Fried.
That’s not where the story ends, either. Fried is the only Yankee pitcher with more than 3 wins (Carlos Rodon, Tim Hill), and he has 5 in 6 starts (almost making it 6 in his first start against Milwaukee, when he was just a single out away from qualifying for the win). The 31-year-old has also pitched 37 2/3 innings, 3rd in MLB behind Luis Severino (38 2/3) and Seth Lugo (38). The point is that Fried has given the Yankees a chance to win every game he’s pitched so far, and he’s been dominant while doing so.
Interestingly, Fried’s incredible start may be in part thanks to a little bit of luck. Baseball Savant says many of his analytical stats have worsened since 2024. His chase, whiff, and hard-hit rates are down from what they were, not significantly, but enough to be noticeable. But the most noteworthy of these stats is his ground ball rate, which is down to 50.0% compared to 59.2% in ’24. At first glance, this would be alarming, considering Yankee Stadium isn’t necessarily a pitcher-friendly park. So, how could Fried have an ERA of 1.43 (276 ERA+) with a 5-0 record when he isn’t getting hitters to miss his pitches as much as usual?
According to his catcher, Austin Wells, it’s likely because of his mindset on the mound. After the Yankees 11-2 win over the Blue Jays in the first game of Sunday’s doubleheader, the sophomore backstopper was asked about Fried’s excellent start, responding with “I think there’s an inning of every start for the most part that he gets through and then he rolls after that,” Wells said. “Whether it’s the beginning, middle, or end, he gets through it, and I think that’s why he’s had so much success and has great numbers to start the year.”
Wells would be correct in his assessment of why Fried has been so good. It’s because he is one of those pitchers who grinds through games, and he doesn’t lose his cool when things begin to get out of hand. Take his start against the Kansas City Royals on April 15, for example. After surrendering a home run to MJ Melendez and an RBI double to Bobby Witt Jr in the 3rd inning that gave Kansas City a 2-0 lead, Fried locked in and gave the Yankees 3 more scoreless innings, and they ended up securing a 4-2 win. Compared to Rodon, whose bad outings this season have typically resulted from being unable to escape that “one bad inning”, Fried’s mentality on the mound is what elevates his game to the next level, even if he’s not mechanically at his very best.
It’s hard to imagine what state the Yankees’ rotation would be in if it weren’t for Fried. The left-hander has actually put together one of the best starts to a career in pinstripes ever. According to AlBat.com, Fried has become just the fifth pitcher in franchise history to rack up at least 4 wins and an ERA under 1.50 in his first five appearances with the club since ERA became an official stat in 1913. If this start indicates what is to come for Fried’s career in the Bronx, the Yankees may have one of the best starters in the game in their arsenal for years to come.
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Bleacher Report's Joel Reuter recently discussed some of the top names available at the trade deadline. One of the names Reuter discussed was St. Louis Cardinals reliever Phil Maton. With Maton sitting on an expiring contract, it seems quite likely he's traded away. "Few pitchers have done a better job limiting hard contact this season than Maton, who ranks among the MLB leaders in hard-hit rate allowed (97th percentile), average exit velocity allowed (100th percentile) and barrel rate allowed (97th percentile)," Reuter wrote. "The 32-year-old has a 2.48 ERA, 1.18 WHIP and 11.6 K/9 with 18 holds in 38 games." The Cardinals were reportedly the only team that had interest in Maton as a free agent in the offseason, but now, a lot of contenders will likely go after him on the trade block. One of the team's that would be a perfect fit for Maton is the New York Yankees. The Yankees are bound to be quite aggressive at the trade deadline, and they need to add an arm to the bullpen. While it would be fun for the Yankees to chase a name like Ryan Helsley or Emmanuel Clase, it's more likely they'll use their top prospects to trade for a third baseman and a starting pitcher. That means the Cardinals could ship Maton to the Bronx in exchange for one or two mid-level prospects at the deadline. This would work for St. Louis, who is not going to contend for the World Series this season either way. It would also work for the Yankees, who could add to their bullpen in an affordable way, while saving the top prospects to be traded in the bigger deals.
The Packers are banking on the offensive line making big strides this season, but may have suffered a setback during one of the first practices of training camp. According to ESPN’s Rob Demovsky, Aaron Banks went down with some sort of injury midway through Thursday’s practice. “Left guard Aaron Banks, who signed a four-year, $77 million contract in the offseason, did not finish the practice,” Demovsky noted for ESPN. “He appeared to drop out halfway through the one-hour, 54-minute session. He remained on the field with a helmet on but did not return.” The severity of whatever ailment Banks suffered is unknown at this time, but if he is forced to miss any meaningful practice time it could deal a blow to the Packers trying to build a strong chemistry and cohesion up front. Last season, for the San Francisco 49ers, Banks allowed just one sack but his 25 pressures ranked 105th in the league, according to Pro Football Focus.
Dallas Cowboys wide receiver CeeDee Lamb reminded teammates to keep their cool after the team had multiple skirmishes during the first two days of training camp. Rookie defensive end Donovan Ezeiruaku and tight end Brevyn Spann-Ford got involved in a brief scuffle on Tuesday. At the following practice on Wednesday, a fight broke out between safety Markquese Bell and TE Tyler Neville. New head coach Brian Schottenheimer then stopped practice and pulled the whole team together. He said the next player who threw a punch would be kicked out of practice (via Joseph Hoyt of The Dallas Morning News). "We've got to be professional," Lamb said of the incident after practice, per ESPN's Todd Archer. "I get it that we have a lot of animosity and tension between us and understanding that we want to proclaim our dominance and show like aggressiveness on both sides of the ball, but then again, to what extent?" Fighting in training camp isn't uncommon. It's an intense environment. Many are trying to prove themselves before teams trim their rosters to 53 players. However, too much brawling can threaten to tear a locker room apart. A lack of discipline was also one reason the Cowboys replaced Mike McCarthy with Schottenheimer this offseason. According to NFLPenalties.com, Dallas drew the league's sixth-most flags (128) last season. Per Archer, there were no more fights after Schottenheimer pulled the team aside. Still, the incidents raise questions about his ability to maintain control. The coach spent Wednesday morning's meeting discussing two plays where DE Sam Williams was too physical and sent to the sideline. His players must not have received the message. It's good for Dallas that Lamb seems to be echoing Schottenheimer's sentiments, but the rookie HC still must get through to his team. Rebounding from a 7-10 season could already prove challenging for the Cowboys. As of Wednesday, ESPN's Football Power Index gives Dallas a 34.5% chance to make the playoffs. Infighting will make that even more difficult.
The Canucks are reportedly quite interested in Ducks' Mason McTavish, this news coming after one of their young NCAA players, Jackson Kunz, could leave the team. With $3.25 million of free cap space now available after Dakota Joshua was sent to Toronto, the Vancouver Canucks and GM Patrik Allvin have room to add a significant piece, and it seems that they may be after a former third overall choice. Vancouver is interested in Anaheim Ducks center Mason McTavish, a restricted free agent, reports The Province's Patrick Johnston. 'Hence their continued interest in Roslovic, as well as their interest in Mason McTavish, the Anaheim Ducks' restricted free agent. Of course adding McTavish, the third-overall pick in the 2021 draft, will be very hard: he's a highly-regarded player with huge upside and will cost a big price in trade, perhaps more than the Canucks can afford.' Johnston said. It won't be an easy feat to get him due to asset limitations and Anaheim's stance on his next deal, but the 22-year-old would be a perfect fit as the Canucks' second-line center. After playing his inaugural 20-goal NHL campaign, McTavish offers skill and grit, two qualities that the Canucks may covet during a playoff push. While a few large-name players are available on the free market, Vancouver is considering trades as well as free agent solutions in the latter half of the offseason. Making a bold move for a player like McTavish wouldn't be out of character with the needs of the team. The Canucks need to sign their important NCAA prospect by August 15th Meanwhile, the Canucks are also under pressure in another direction. The deadline on August 15th is coming up to sign NCAA prospects graduating after four years. If they don't sign them, they'll become unrestricted free agents. The key concern is forward Jackson Kunz. If he isn't signed by August 15, 2025, he'll land on the open market. In the midst of a potential blockbuster trade and looming NCAA deadlines, the next several weeks can be make-or-break for Vancouver.