Is It Time To Start Worrying About This Ace’s Pitching Problems?

For the beginning part of the 2025 season, Max Fried was easily the ace of the New York Yankees. While Fried was originally signed in the offseason to be a solid middle-of-the-rotation starter behind Gerrit Cole and Carlos Ródon, he quickly took over the ace role when Cole endured a season-ending injury in Spring Training. Fried made the American League All-Star team, and probably would’ve been in the running to start the game if it weren’t for a blister on his hand. While Fried dominated the first half of the MLB season, his second-half performance so far has been nothing short of disappointing, and it may be time to start worrying about his ability to continue as the Yankees’ ace. 

From March 29th to July 1st, Fried pitched to a 1.91 ERA, allowing 23 total earned runs over 108 innings pitched. Besides his one start in May against the Los Angeles Dodgers, where he gave up six earned runs, Fried was unhittable. Since July 1st, Fried has pitched to a 6.80 ERA and given up 49 hits and 31 earned runs over 41 innings pitched. In three August starts, Fried has a 7.20 ERA against three potential postseason teams. Tonight’s win against the St. Louis Cardinals was only the third time in Fried’s career that he gave up seven earned runs. Fried’s season ERA is now up to 3.26. 

While Fried was once an untouchable starter and guaranteed the Yankees a win when he stepped on the mound, he is now one of their most unreliable pitchers. With the Yankees’ postseason chances already being questioned, Fried’s pitching concerns are certainly starting to become a problem to worry about. While Will Warren, Ródon, and Luis Gil have all had quality starts recently, the rotation is already facing issues with new pitcher Cam Schlittler struggling early. With all of the bullpen drama the Yankees are currently facing, the last thing the team needs is rotation issues as well. If Fried isn’t able to pick it up down the stretch, it’s fair to question if the Yankees’ rotation will be able to sustain itself in a long October push.