Feb 12, 2026; Tampa, FL, USA; New York Yankees pitcher Max Fried (54) works out during spring training workouts at George M. Steinbrenner Field. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement Neitzel-Imagn Images Kim Klement Neitzel-Imagn Images

Yankees' Max Fried Proved Scouts' Ruthless Evaluations Wrong

Originally posted on New York Yankees on SI
By Joseph Randazzo | Last updated Mar 3, 2026 9:00 AM ET

It isn't easy playing in a big market after landing a massive contract. In year one with the New York Yankees, though, Max Fried checked off all of the boxes. In fact, despite the enormous pressure around him and with that pressure compounding even more with Gerrit Cole going down, Fried went way beyond those initial expectations.

Fried's 195.1 innings were the most he had thrown in a career that had been hampered by injuries in the past. His 2.86 ERA is the second-lowest in a season in which he threw over 150 IP, and Fried's 4.8 WAR, according to Fangraphs, trails the 4.9 he had in 2022 by the tiniest of margins.

Troy Taormina-Imagn Images

Knowing what Fried has accomplished in his career, and how he hit another gear in his first year in something some star ball players have struggled with initially — it's funny to think that at one time, evaluators thought Fried was "soft" while in the minors. This had been such a prevalent notion that Fried was even aware of it going around about him.

Fried told The Athletic's Ken Rosenthal that, at 18, when he first heard what these scouts were saying about him, he may not have actually been ready yet. Especially the business aspect of baseball.

"I think looking back at that time, I probably wasn't ready at 18 years old to live on my own and be in a cutthroat business," Fried conveyed to Rosenthal. "You're getting paid. You're in a job. Up to that point, it was all about team and winning and wanting to have the best for your teammates. I hadn't really hit a point where it was, you've got to dig deep, and now you're actually competing not only with the other team, but within your own organization to be able to move up. Then you start seeing people you play with get released, and you realize, oh wow … it hits you differently."

Proving Those Scouts Wrong

If Fried really wants to do a full-on exorcism of that soft label on him from when he was younger, winning with the Yankees and leading them to their 28th championship would do that. Fried already won a World Series in 2021, toppling the Houston Astros with the Braves, but the pressure around the Yankees right now is massive.

That pressure grows every year the Yankees are eliminated. With him and Cole potentially at the top of the rotation this October, barring injuries, there may not be a better time than now to win.

They currently have the best 1-2 punch since those late 2000s teams that featured Andy Pettitte and CC Sabathia. The combination of Cole and Fried could be better than that — at least on paper it is.

Plus, after that ugly outing at the hands of the Toronto Blue Jays in the American League Division Series, Fried probably wants to make up for that one. There's plenty of motivation to win. It's just a matter of finally doing it here in New York for the first time since 2009.