Max Fried Continues To Shine With Yankees

The left-hander has been dominant in his first two starts of the season for the Yankees.

Apr. 1, 2026 at 3:21pm

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Max Fried, the Yankees' new ace left-hander, has continued his strong start to the season, tossing seven scoreless innings against the Mariners in his latest outing. Fried, who signed a record-breaking contract for a lefty pitcher in the offseason, has posted a 2.67 ERA over the past two seasons and is showing no signs of slowing down with his new team.

Why it matters

Fried's early-season success is a great sign for the Yankees, who are looking to bounce back from a disappointing 2025 campaign. The team's pitching staff as a whole has been dominant to start the year, and Fried's emergence as an ace-level starter could be a key factor in the Yankees' pursuit of a playoff berth.

The details

In his latest outing against the Mariners, Fried tossed seven shutout innings, striking out six batters and generating nine swings-and-misses. While the Mariners did manage some hard contact, the majority of their at-bats resulted in weak contact, with an average exit velocity of just 84.5 mph. Fried credited his teammates for the win, saying the team is 'motivated' and 'leaving everything out there'.

  • Fried tossed 6.1 scoreless innings in the Yankees' season opener.
  • In his second start against the Mariners, Fried threw seven shutout innings.

The players

Max Fried

A left-handed pitcher who signed a record-breaking contract with the Yankees in the offseason. Fried has established himself as an ace in the league, helping the Atlanta Braves win their first World Series since 1995.

Aaron Boone

The manager of the New York Yankees, who praised Fried's performance and the overall strength of the team's pitching staff.

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What they’re saying

“There weren't times where I was just fighting to throw strikes. I felt like I was actually able to locate today, which made things a lot easier.”

— Max Fried, Pitcher

“We have a lot of really talented guys that are really motivated. We've been waiting for this opportunity to have the season start and go compete. We want to go win, and we're leaving everything out there.”

— Max Fried, Pitcher

“We definitely like our pitching. I don't know if you draw up this many shutouts and all that early on. I don't care how good your pitching is, it doesn't usually work that seamlessly. It's a great start for those guys. They're pitching with a lot of confidence, and they're executing.”

— Aaron Boone, Manager

What’s next

The Yankees will look to continue their strong start to the season as they face off against the Boston Red Sox in a highly anticipated divisional matchup.

The takeaway

Fried's dominant start to the season is a great sign for the Yankees, who are hoping to bounce back from a disappointing 2025 campaign. The team's pitching staff as a whole has been exceptional, and Fried's emergence as an ace-level starter could be the key to the Yankees' success this year.