Football is over. It’s time for baseball!

In the aftermath of dethroning the Chiefs earlier this month, Philadelphia quarterback Jalen Hurts emphatically thanked his defensive teammates for the impact they had on the Eagles’ success. Could one of the newest Yankees make his mark in similar fashion?

I’ve always believed in the old adage “pitching wins championships.” The Yankees went out and brought in one of the best back in December, signing Max Fried and pairing him with Gerrit Cole to form a righty/lefty tandem of aces at the top of their starting rotation. One of Fried’s best assets is his velocity separation, which I detailed in a piece I wrote shortly after Fried put on pinstripes for the first time. He traveled to Tampa early, well before Spring Training began, to make immediate connections with his new players and coaches. During a press conference early in camp, Fried talked about how he aimed to be a “sponge” and learn as much as possible from watching Cole. The rest of the Yankees’ starters might benefit significantly from doing the same with Fried.

For example, Carlos Rodón could pick Fried’s brain with regards to Rodon’s curveball usage. In an interview with Jack Curry during an edition of Yankees Hot Stove over the winter, Rodon told Jack Curry that he didn’t have confidence to throw off-speed pitches in the biggest of spots last year, noting too that there were periods of time in the regular season in which Rodon primarily went with only a fastball/slider combination that was hit hard. Imagine if Max could help him with that pitch? Such a development could potentially turn the Yankees’ pair of aces into a trio that would set them up fabulously in playoff series’ of any length.

Clarke Schmidt has a quality curveball and uses it for nearly 19 percent of his pitches. Maybe Max can help Schmidt make it even better with a pointer or two. Fried also had a velocity separation between his fastball and curveball in 2024 that was nearly six MPH greater than the differential Cole had. The added value would be significant if Fried could help Cole become even sharper than he already is.

His presence on the mound will be game-changer, but if he can help his fellow Yankees starters refine their games…Fried would certainly be a “maximized” asset.

Fried to the Max.