Max Fried Is Untouchable Right Now and the Marlins Are About to Find Out Why

The Yankees are rolling into Sunday's finale against Miami with Max Fried doing something almost nobody does in April: pitching like a Cy Young winner already. Fried is 2-0 with a 0.00 ERA and has strung together 10 scoreless starts since putting on pinstripes. This is the guy the Yankees bet eight years on, and he's proving it was the smartest move they made.

A Frontline Starter Living Up to His Contract

Fried signed a massive deal before the Yankees realized how badly they'd need him because of Gerrit Cole's injury. Now? He's delivering in ways that make you forget about everyone else. During the season-opening road trip, he carved up the competition. Against San Francisco on March 25, he allowed two hits with four strikeouts. Then he came to T-Mobile Park and shut out the Mariners 5-0, giving up just three hits across seven innings while striking out 10 overall during the two wins.

Last season, Fried went 19-5 with a 2.86 ERA across 32 starts, setting career highs with 195 1/3 innings pitched and 189 strikeouts. Yankees catcher J.C. Escarra puts it simply: "It's incredible. I can't go wrong with what I call when he has all these pitches going."

The Yankees Are Cooking, and Miami Can't Stop Them

New York is chasing its fifth straight win and trying to get to 8-1 for the first time since 2020. After an 8-2 win Friday, the Yankees grinded out a 9-7 victory Saturday. Giancarlo Stanton delivered a tiebreaking two-run single in the eighth and recorded his first stolen base since 2020. Cody Bellinger drove in three runs and added a two-run homer. The Yankees walked 10 times in that game alone and now have 21 walks across their last two games.

Manager Aaron Boone knows exactly what's working: "It's a scoring competition, not a hit competition. So however it comes, it's about putting runs on the board."

Fried's Career Record Against Miami Should Scare Them

Fried didn't face the Marlins last season when New York got swept in Miami. But his career numbers against them? He's 6-4 with a 4.23 ERA in 16 starts. The Marlins can collect hits all they want, but against Fried's stuff, they'll need flawless execution. Chris Paddack (0-1, 18.00) takes the ball for Miami, fresh off allowing eight runs in four innings against Chicago. Paddack is 0-3 with an 8.47 ERA in four career appearances against the Yankees.

First pitch Sunday afternoon. One team looks unstoppable. The other is desperately searching for answers.

This article was created with AI assistance and reviewed by Seattle On Tap editorial staff. Always verify information with official team sources.