TAMPA, Fla. — The New York Yankees know what they have in Max Fried. A lefty with six pitches, a 19-win season on his resume and the kind of work ethic that makes coaches smile. They also know what they do not have figured out about him.
Aaron Boone dropped the news casually after Monday night’s 5-3 Grapefruit League loss to the Pittsburgh Pirates. When a reporter asked whether he had settled on an Opening Day starter, the Yankees manager did not hesitate.
“It’ll be Max, yeah,” Boone said.
The announcement surprised nobody. With 2024 AL Cy Young winner Gerrit Cole still recovering from Tommy John surgery and 2025 All-Star Carlos Rodon working his way back from an elbow procedure to remove a bone spur and loose bodies, Fried was the obvious choice. He will take the ball March 25 against the San Francisco Giants.
Fried shines in second spring outing
The timing of the announcement fit the moment. Fried had just turned in his sharpest outing of the spring, retiring 12 of 13 Pirates before Endy Rodriguez tagged him for a solo homer to open the fourth inning. That was all the damage Pittsburgh managed off the lefty, who allowed two hits, struck out six and walked none in a 67-pitch effort.
It was a big step up from his spring debut against Team Panama’s WBC squad, where Fried walked three in three-plus innings and admitted he felt “rusty.”
“As far as last time to this time, way better, more consistent,” Fried said from Steinbrenner Field. “I was able to execute what I wanted to do, and being able to focus a little more on my game plan, my process.”
The Yankees skipper raved about what he saw.
“I told him, ‘That was fun to watch,'” Boone said. “It was one of those nights where he had it all working and got into a really good rhythm. His cutter was really good early. Yeah, I thought he was really sharp.”
The Opening Day nod will be the fifth of Fried’s career after four with the Braves. Last season, Rodon got the Yankees’ opener while Fried debuted in game two.
A rotation in transition
Fried projects to lead a Yankees rotation that also includes Cam Schlittler, Will Warren, Ryan Weathers and Luis Gil. Cole and Rodon are expected back at some point in the first half, though neither has a firm date.
Rodon offered encouragement on Monday. He faced hitters for the first time since his October surgery, throwing 20 pitches to minor leaguers with his velocity touching 94 mph.
Boone was careful not to project a return date but acknowledged the progress.
“I don’t want to get ahead of myself,” Boone said, “but he’s on a pretty good time[line].”
A late April or May return seems possible, which would give the Yankees a major boost to their rotation depth.
The question that still haunts Yankees
This is where things get complicated. Fried did everything right during the regular season in 2025. He went 19-5 with a 2.86 ERA, setting career highs in wins, starts (32), innings pitched (195 1/3) and strikeouts (189). He made the American League All-Star team.
But the postseason told a different story. When the Yankees needed Fried most, he could not deliver.
Toronto had dominated the Yankees during the regular season, taking eight of 13 meetings. After Luis Gil was hammered in a 10-1 Game 1 loss in the Division Series, the Bombers turned to Fried with the series on the line.
He lasted just four innings. The Blue Jays tagged him for seven earned runs on eight hits in a 13-7 blowout. The Yankees never recovered. They were eliminated in four games, extending their World Series championship drought to 16 straight seasons.
“Maybe I could’ve made better pitches that night, but sometimes you have to accept things that don’t go your way,” Fried said in camp. “Toronto had really good approaches at the plate. They were very good at putting the bat on the ball.”
The Game 2 collapse was not an isolated incident. Fried’s career postseason ERA across 76 1/3 innings sits at 5.31. He suffered a similar meltdown with the Braves in 2024, giving up five earned runs in two innings during Game 2 of the Wild Card Series against the Padres. That loss completed a sweep that ended Atlanta’s season.
Can Fried solve the riddle with Cole’s return?
The Yankees knew about Fried’s October track record when they signed him to an eight-year, $218 million deal. They were not buying a postseason ace. They were buying a durable regular-season arm to anchor the staff until Cole came back.
Cole’s rehab is moving ahead of schedule. He could return as early as May. When he does, Fried slots into the role that may suit him best for the Yankees, as the No. 2 starter behind a true franchise arm.
“We’ve got a lot of really good, talented arms,” Fried said. “Guys are throwing the ball well and feeling good.”
“He knows how to work and he knows how to prepare,” Boone said, “and that’s all year round.”
Fried plans to make two more starts on regular rest before the opener in San Francisco. The Yankees will have their guy on the mound. Whether he will be that same guy when October rolls around remains the one question the Bombers still cannot answer.
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