Max Fried completed his final Grapefruit League start for the New York Yankees, allowing three runs over five innings in a 5-4 victory against the Baltimore Orioles at George M. Steinbrenner Field. The performance comes ahead of his first Opening Day start with the Yankees on March 25 against the San Francisco Giants at Oracle Park. Fried views the outing as a valuable tune-up despite not being at his sharpest.
In Tampa, Florida, Max Fried huddled with manager Aaron Boone in a windowless office to confirm his Opening Day assignment, simply reviewing his schedule. Fried recalled the straightforward conversation: “It was just going through my schedule, like, ‘Hey, you’ve got Game 1, so where do we want to line everything up to make sure you’re ready for that?’” This marks his fourth career Opening Day start, following three with the Atlanta Braves in 2021, 2022, and 2023. Last year, Carlos Rodón received the nod partly due to Gerrit Cole’s season-ending Tommy John surgery, though Fried filled the ace role effectively, posting a 19-5 record, 2.86 ERA, career-high 32 starts, 195 1/3 innings, and 189 strikeouts, earning an American League All-Star selection after signing an eight-year, $218 million contract. He feels more settled now than a year ago, when he was still learning teammates' names. Against the Orioles, the 32-year-old left-hander yielded five hits, including a two-run homer by Coby Mayo in the second inning, walked four, struck out two, and threw 81 pitches. “Definitely not sharp, but also the perfect amount of being able to make that adjustment and know that things aren’t going to be the best,” Fried said. “You’ve got to go out there in the middle of the game and try to figure it out and get through it. So I felt like it was a really nice tune-up.” Boone praised him: “He’s one of the game’s really good ones... He’s not only an outstanding pitcher, but now one of the leaders in that room... I’m excited to give him the ball and go see him do his thing.” Though surprised by the honor, Fried called it “very honored and grateful,” adding, “You try to put it in perspective that it’s just the first game; it’s no more important than a game in June.” He believes the Yankees, who exited in the American League Division Series last October, can improve with their talented roster.