Why it's time for the Yankees to worry about three-time All-Star

Monday night’s heartbreaking 8-5 loss to the Texas Rangers should set off alarm bells for the New York Yankees and their de facto ace, Max Fried. In five innings, the left-hander allowed four runs, continuing a recent run of subpar performances.

"They came out and swung the bats and got to me and strung together some hits and at the end of the day, I didn’t do a good enough job of being able to limit it and get us out of that situation," Fried said, per Dave Sessions of MLB.com. "It put us behind, especially after getting some early runs and having a lead ... it’s definitely really frustrating.”

Adding to Fried’s frustration was his error in the second inning, when he threw the ball into center field on a pickoff attempt, allowing a run to score from third. It was a career-high-tying third error this season for the three-time Gold Glover, who also made three errors in 2019. 

In six starts since July 1, the three-time All-Star has allowed 20 earned runs in 31 innings. His best start over that span came July 29, when he threw 6.2 innings and allowed two earned runs. It was his only quality start through this stretch.

Fried went on the IL for a brief stint on July 12 with a blister on his left hand,  making his return July 23. It remains unclear if the blister is the cause of his underperformance, but he  struggled before it became an issue.

Despite his sluggish stretch, Fried still has a strong 2025 resume, including a 2.78 ERA, 132 strikeouts and an opponent batting average of .218 in 139 innings (his lowest opponent average besides the .211 figure he posted in the COVID-shortened 2020 season). These numbers follow a pattern of excellence Fried established in 2020 with the Atlanta Braves after settling into their rotation. He finished his time with the Braves with a 3.07 ERA over eight years.

But the performances over the past month by Fried should be concerning for New York. The Yankees’ rotation has been unreliable in the wake of numerous injuries. If their ace can’t regain form, this raises serious doubts about the team’s chances in the postseason — if it can make it there. 

Fried will look to bounce back Sunday, when he is projected to start in a series finale against the Houston Astros.