Yankees’ Max Fried owes his signature curveball to an outfielder; link goes back to Negro League

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When Max Fried delivers his first official pitch as a New York Yankee at the Stadium, the southpaw carries more than just the expectations of his massive contract—he brings a pitching legacy that flows through an improbable teacher and stretches back to baseball’s segregated era.

Fried’s curveball has established itself as one of baseball’s premier breaking pitches, leaving hitters flailing since he first toed a major league rubber in 2017. Last year, opponents managed a meager .154 average (20-for-130) against the pitch, according to Baseball Savant metrics. Yet what makes this devastating weapon truly remarkable isn’t just its effectiveness, but its unusual pedigree—Fried developed it under the guidance of former MLB All-Star outfielder Reggie Smith.

An outfielder taught Fried a pitcher’s pitch

Smith, whose stellar playing career spanned from the Red Sox to the Cardinals, Dodgers, and Giants between 1966 and 1982, never recorded a single major league inning on the mound. For Fried, however, he proved instrumental in crafting a Hall of Fame-caliber breaking ball.

“[Smith] is an outfielder, but he [is] someone who [is] a big mentor to me,” Fried said. “He is probably one of the smartest baseball people I have ever been around.”

The relationship began when Fried was just seven years old, introduced to the Reggie Smith Baseball Academy in Encino, California, by his father, Jonathan. Despite Smith’s background as a hitter, he possessed deep insight into throwing mechanics and biomechanics—knowledge he applied to safely teach young Fried the curveball that would eventually become his signature pitch.

“He was showing me different grips,” the Yankees ace said. “He taught me in a way that wouldn’t hurt my arm. I had a good feel for it and the ability to spin the ball. I thank him all the time for everything he helped me with.”

Negro League wisdom passed to Fried

At 79, Smith attributes his own curveball education to Chet Brewer, a Negro League pitching standout who mentored youth in Los Angeles’ Watts community. “All I know about pitching was that it was hard to hit,” Smith said with a laugh. “But I knew how to throw it.”

During batting practice sessions with Brewer, Smith absorbed fundamental lessons about grip techniques, spin dynamics, and pitch recognition—knowledge he later transmitted to a new generation of players, including Fried.

“Max was able to learn more than one type of curveball,” Smith noted. “But more important than that, it was [teaching him] when to use it.”

Yankees debut brings high stakes, deep emotions

Now 31 and entering his prime, Fried makes his pinstriped debut Saturday against Milwaukee in the season’s second game. With staff ace Gerrit Cole sidelined following Tommy John surgery, Fried’s importance to the rotation has intensified dramatically.

“There’s obviously a flood of emotions,” the Yankees pitcher acknowledged Thursday. “I’m really excited to get out there in Yankee Stadium for the first time, but also trying to ground myself.”

Throughout his career, Fried has utilized an unusually diverse arsenal—featuring seven distinct pitches—yet his curveball remains the centerpiece weapon. It’s also the offering that connects baseball eras, linking Brewer’s Negro League expertise to Smith’s MLB stardom to Fried’s modern excellence.

Though prior commitments prevent Smith from attending Saturday’s debut, he recently connected with Fried and expressed his pride in the pitcher’s journey.

“Baseball is just a game”

Beyond physical techniques, Fried carries philosophical lessons from Smith’s mentorship that resonate even more deeply in baseball’s most pressure-packed environment.

“At the end of the day, you are playing a game against the other guys. You make adjustments,” he said.

For a pitcher now wearing baseball’s most iconic uniform, this perspective may prove as valuable as any mechanical refinement. And for Smith, the sentiment of pride flows both ways.

“He’s just getting started,” Smith said.

Fried will face former Yankees fan favorite Nestor Cortes, who returns to the Bronx wearing Milwaukee’s colors following an offseason trade. The first pitch arrives Saturday afternoon at Yankee Stadium, where his curveball—and the remarkable lineage behind it—takes center stage in what promises to be a memorable Bronx introduction.

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