NEW YORK — Max Fried, once the steady hand atop the New York Yankees’ rotation, is now fighting to regain his early-season form after another rough outing Sunday.
The left-hander gave up four runs on eight hits over five innings in a 7-1 defeat to the Houston Astros at Yankee Stadium. The loss added to the Yankees’ skid, now seven losses in their past nine games, and deepened concerns about Fried’s second-half slide.
“To be honest, I have to be better,” Fried said. “I just gotta be better at locating, being able to throw and get more ground balls, and haven’t been able to do it. It’s something I need to dive into and see what adjustments I need to make.”
From ace to question mark on Fried
The transformation has been stark for the left-hander who signed with New York as a marquee free agent. Through his first 17 starts this season, Max Fried posted a sparkling 1.92 ERA that had Yankees fans dreaming of October success. But since June 25, the veteran has compiled a troubling 6.00 ERA across seven starts.
The numbers tell the story of a pitcher who has lost his way. Fried has allowed 29 runs (24 earned) in his past 36 innings for a 6.00 ERA since his dominant early-season run ended.
Sunday’s performance exemplified Fried’s recent issues. While he threw first-pitch strikes to 23 of 26 batters and worked ahead in counts, he consistently failed to put hitters away when he had them cornered.
Early trouble sets the tone
The problems began immediately for Fried when Jose Altuve launched a solo home run in the first inning on what the pitcher later called a mistake pitch at the top of the zone. The blast marked Altuve’s 21st homer of the season and his 250th career round-tripper.
“Frankly, I got beat today,” Fried said. “It sucks, especially this time of year.”
The decisive blow came in the fifth inning when Fried’s command completely unraveled. After walking and hitting batters to load the bases, he served up a crucial two-out, two-run double to Cam Smith that extended Houston’s lead to 4-0.
The sequence proved particularly frustrating for Fried and the Yankees dugout. On a 2-2 count to Smith, Fried appeared to clip the outside corner with a fastball that looked like strike three. Home plate umpire Derek Thomas ruled it a ball, extending the at-bat.
“It definitely would have been nice, but no one’s going to look back and really care, right?” Fried said of the questionable call. “You just gotta be able to make the pitch and get out of it anyway.”
Mounting pressure on rotation
Fried’s inability to pitch deep into games has become a concerning pattern for the Yankees. His five-inning outing Sunday marked the 10th consecutive game that a Yankees starter failed to reach the sixth inning.
Manager Aaron Boone acknowledged the strain this places on the bullpen, particularly as the team fights to maintain its playoff position.
“That’s obviously an area we’ve got to improve,” Boone said. “That’s bitten us a little bit here as you’re chasing with the pen every day and having guys down and then you’re getting some guys in some situations they probably shouldn’t be in. We gotta improve in that area. We gotta get some outings where we get a little bit deeper.”
The Yankees entered the day hoping Fried could serve as a stopper to halt their recent skid. Instead, they got another reminder that their early-season ace has yet to rediscover his dominant form.
Technical struggles continue
Boone had emphasized the importance of Fried attacking early in counts before the game, hoping to help him work more efficiently and pitch deeper into games. While Fried succeeded in getting ahead of hitters, his inability to finish at-bats proved costly.
“Today, I thought he did a good job of getting ahead, but just having a hard time putting guys away,” Boone said. “It’s just getting to that next layer of commanding the ball how he wants.”
The manager noted that Fried’s stuff remains sharp, with good velocity on his fastball and effective break on his secondary pitches. The issue appears to be location and command rather than a decline in raw ability.
“I do think his stuff is good. He is throwing hard. His cutter looks good to me. The breaks on his pitches are good,” Boone said. “It comes down to command throughout. I feel like he has been a little bit scattered throughout.”
Looking for answers
Fried acknowledged that his recent struggles stem from execution rather than physical issues. Earlier in the season, a blister on his throwing hand contributed to some poor outings around the All-Star break. That problem has since healed, leaving the focus squarely on mechanics and approach.
“I tried to move the ball around a bunch. They were able to battle, put the ball in play,” Fried said. “I gave up a lot of hits, and there was a lot of traffic on the bases. Yeah, they really ground me down and put together some good at-bats in a game where I needed to come out and get better results.”
The veteran pitcher’s self-assessment reflects the mindset of someone accustomed to being relied upon in crucial moments. Fried has built his career on the expectation that his starts correspond to team victories.
“That’s the way I’ve felt since I came into the big leagues,” he said. “I work hard and I only get to play once a week or once every five or six games. When I take the ball, I want to go out there and I expect to win.”
Team struggles extend beyond pitching
While Fried’s regression has been concerning, the Yankees’ offensive struggles have compounded their problems. The team managed just three hits against Houston, all coming in the sixth inning or later in what became a 7-1 defeat.
The Yankees managed three hits and lost for the seventh time in nine games and were booed after the final out from the 43,658 fans in attendance on what had been a beautiful afternoon for baseball in the Bronx.
Since June 13, the Yankees have compiled a disappointing 20-31 record, transforming from a comfortable first-place team into a third-place club clinging to the final American League wild-card spot.
Road ahead in pinstripes
As the Yankees continue to fight for their playoff lives, they need Fried to rediscover the form that made him one of baseball’s most reliable starters early in the season. The left-hander’s willingness to take responsibility for his struggles suggests he understands the urgency of the situation.
With the team’s rotation depth tested and the bullpen increasingly taxed, Fried’s return to form could prove crucial for the Yankees’ postseason hopes. His next start will provide another opportunity to prove that his early-season dominance was not merely a mirage.
For now, though, the Yankees must confront the reality that their presumed ace is searching for answers at the worst possible time. As Fried admitted after Sunday’s loss, the solution lies in his ability to make the necessary adjustments and return to the pitcher who gave the organization such optimism just months ago.
The Yankees’ season may well depend on whether he can find those answers quickly enough to matter.
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