Rieber: Yanks' Max Fried needs to channel his inner Sabathia in Wild Card Series opener
New York Yankees pitcher Max Fried during Monday's workout prior to Game 1 of the Wild-Card Series against the Boston Red Sox on Tuesday. Credit: Newsday/William Perlman
Maybe it was just the first T-shirt he saw in his dresser drawer, but Max Fried’s choice for Monday’s interview session before his Game 1 start against the Red Sox in the Wild Card Series on Tuesday night was spot on.
Fried sported a “Sabathia 52” T-shirt. Even in his first year as a Yankee, Fried must know that CC Sabathia is the last Yankees ace to lead the team to a World Series title in 2009.
The only thing we’ll quibble over with Fried is when he said winning a championship in baseball is “not about one person.”
On Tuesday, against Boston’s monster lefthander Garrett Crochet, the Yankees’ best chance to stop the Red Sox from stealing the opener of the three-game series rests on the left arm of their $218 million ace.
Fried and his seven-pitch arsenal must match zero for zero with Crochet, who as Fried pointed out led the American League in innings (205 1/3) and strikeouts (255).
Fried didn’t actually say the numbers, but with his accountant’s demeanor it wouldn’t be a shock if he knew them.
Fried is less of an emotional leader like Sabathia and more of a tactician on the mound. He led the majors in wins with 19, and while some say wins don’t count as much as they used to with starting pitchers, they are all that counts in the postseason.
And World Series wins are all that count in the Bronx. Aaron Judge on Sunday made the incredible statement that losing the World Series to the Dodgers last year felt the same to him as not making the postseason at all in 2023.
If that seems a bit extreme, understand that it is the Yankee Way in the Judge Era. Just as it was under previous captain Derek Jeter.
That’s a lot of pressure for players to walk into, even veteran ones, and Yankees history is littered with new guys who crumbled under the pressure of New York and the forever expectations of being the last team standing in October.
From the likes of Ed Whitson and Steve Trout to more modern-day examples such as Sonny Gray and Joey Gallo, Yankee Stadium is not for the faint of heart.
When Fried left Atlanta and signed an eight-year deal with the Yankees — spurning the Red Sox, among others — he expected to be Gerrit Cole’s wingman. When Cole went down with Tommy John surgery in spring training, Fried became the instant ace.
Instead of wilting, he thrived, with an All-Star Game nod and a 2.86 ERA in 32 starts.
"Obviously, he's had an outstanding season," manager Aaron Boone said. "He's been a great pitcher in this league now for a while. That being said, you're one of the big free agents out there. You come to New York, that can be a challenging and daunting thing. He's handled it so well, so seamlessly.
“Just forget the pitcher for a minute. Just his makeup, the person, the teammate he is has been more than I could ever imagine.”
Fried’s laid-back personality obviously fit into the Yankees clubhouse. He’s a gamer, as was Sabathia, and he quietly has assumed a behind-the-scenes leadership role that befits a pitcher who barely seems to break a sweat when he’s carving up hitters seven ways to Sunday.
"He's been outstanding between the lines,” Boone said. “It starts with he's a great athlete. That's the biggest thing he has going for him. It helps him in his delivery, his stuff, the way he controls the running game and moves and bounces off the mound and things like that. I heard he could really hit. He can really run. He's told me, like (if) you need a pinch [runner] ... [and] he's the extra outfielder, those kind of things, and I believe him. He is a really phenomenal athlete. And within that, then you go look at the stuff and the arsenal, it's vast. It's a lot of different weapons, a lot of different ways to beat you, a lot of really tough pitches."
If the Yankees need Fried to hit, pinch run or play the outfield, they are probably going to be in trouble against Boston.
They need him to be what he is: their ace on Tuesday and all through October. So maybe in a decade or two some Yankees lefthander will show up on the podium before a postseason start wearing a “Fried 54” T-shirt.
Max Fried's postseason numbers in 11 series with Atlanta:
Games 20
Starts 12
W-L 2-5
ERA 5.10
WHIP 1.493
Innings 67
Hits 82
HRs 10
Anthony Rieber covers baseball, as well as the NFL, NBA and NHL. He has worked at Newsday since Aug. 31, 1998, and has been in his current position since July 5, 2004.
