Jun 10, 2025; Kansas City, Missouri, USA; New York Yankees starting pitcher Max Fried (54) throws a pitch in the first inning against the Kansas City Royals at Kauffman Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Peter Aiken-Imagn Images Peter Aiken-Imagn Images

Yankees Are Getting Historic Start From Max Fried

Originally posted on New York Yankees on SI
By Jack Markowski | Last updated Jun 11, 2025 1:00 PM ET

The New York Yankees simply couldn't have asked for a better start to Max Fried's career with the team.

Per MLB.com's Sarah Langs, Fried has posted the third-lowest ERA (1.84) of any Yankees starting pitcher over their first 14 starts of a season since the mound was lowered in 1969, ranking behind Ron Guidry in 1978 (1.45 ERA) and Phil Niekro in 1984 (1.77 ERA).

Lowest ERA in first 14 starts of season, Yankees since mound lowered (1969):

1978 Ron Guidry: 1.45
1984 Phil Niekro: 1.77
2025 Max Fried: 1.84 https://t.co/83lzRuuXpd
— Sarah Langs (@SlangsOnSports) June 11, 2025

Guidry went on to win the American League Cy Young Award that season with 25 wins and a 1.74 ERA, while Niekro made the All-Star team and closed out the year with a 3.09 ERA at 45-years-old.

Fried's in good company in that regard, though the early-season attainments don't end there. According to OptaSTATS, the Yankees' plus-62 run differential over the left-hander's first 14 outings is the highest during the modern era since the St. Louis Cardinals outscored their opponents by 66 runs in Ted Wilks' initial 14 starts of the 1944 campaign.

The @Yankees have a +62 run differential in Max Fried's 14 starts.

In the modern era, the only other MLB pitcher to have that high of a team run differential over his first 14 starts with a club was Ted Wilks with the Cardinals in 1944 (+66), a year they won the World Series. pic.twitter.com/OanbkLMBpk
— OptaSTATS (@OptaSTATS) June 11, 2025

In New York's series opener against the Kansas City Royals at Kauffman Stadium on Tuesday, Fried allowed two earned runs with four strikeouts over seven innings while picking up his league-leading ninth win of the season as the Yankees came on top by a score of 10-2.

His 1.84 ERA is the second-lowest among all qualified left-handed pitchers behind Kris Bubic of the Royals, who currently sits at 1.43 and will pitch against New York on Wednesday night. Furthermore, Fried is tied with Boston Red Sox ace Garrett Crochet for the second-most innings thrown so far this season with 88.

Fried has allowed over two runs just once all year, with the outlier coming in a six-run outing vs. the Los Angeles Dodgers on May 30.

The Yankees knew they were gaining a frontline starter when they pried Fried away from the Atlanta Braves in free agency with an eight-year, $218 million deal this past offseason, but he's completely exceeded expectations thus far.

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