Time is running out for Max Fried to figure himself out before Yankees' playoff run

2026 has been a bit of an odd year for Max Fried. Injuries prevented him from ever really getting going yet he’s still put up very good numbers in limited time. However, he hasn’t quite looked as sharp as we’ve grown accustomed to seeing from him since returning from his latest IL stint. With likely two starts left in the regular season, Fried doesn't have much time left to find his rhythm and settle back into his role as the team’s No. 2 starting pitcher.  

While the left-hander hasn't actually been shelled, he has suffered from a lack of command as of late. Although it’s certainly understandable considering he’s only made 18 starts this season, it's a little concerning for the New York Yankees. One poorly located pitch could be the difference in a closely contested ball game. If Fried’s command issues continue into October, it could be something that could cut the Yankees’ playoff run short.

During the team's Sept. 10 game against the Colorado Rockies, Fried was only able to collect one out in the fourth inning before being pulled by Aaron Boone. The lefty needed a stomach-turning 80 pitches to get through his 3 1/3 innings of work. Of those 80 pitches, Fried threw 32 balls — a far cry from a dominant start. 

While Fried stuck out seven batters, he was forced to work overtime to put many Rockies’ hitters away (they fouled off nearly two dozen balls against him). To his credit, he did manage to control the damage by allowing just a single run on a Kyle Karros solo tater in the second inning. 

While speaking to reporters after the game, Fried offered up an honest take on his performance. 

“It was kind of a weird outing,” Fried said. “I was executing in certain counts, but I also had a lot of really bad misses, which caused a lot of deep counts. Obviously, only going 80 pitches and not getting through four is not ideal. I didn’t want to put the bullpen in that position, but they did a great job picking me up.”

Max Fried will be one of the keys to the Yankees’ postseason success  

In potential postseason matchups against teams like the Boston Red Sox or the Tampa Bay Rays, would Fried be able to get away with such a lack of command? Instead of harmless foul balls, Yankees outfielders could be tracking down liners in the gap. The Rockies may be an MLB team, but they pale in comparison to some of the league’s best. 

With a spotty postseason track record, Fried’s performance will already be placed under a microscope. In 22 career postseason appearances, Fried sports a 5.31 ERA and an inflated 1.53 WHIP. He also owns a gaudy hits per nine average of 11.1, which his more than three over his career average in the regular season. 

As we saw last year, Fried is wildly inconsistent in the postseason. After throwing 6 1/3 shutout innings against the Red Sox in the Wild Card Series, he was overmatched in his lone start against the Toronto Blue Jays in the ALDS. Fried lasted just three innings while surrendering seven earned runs on eight hits. The game led to the Yankees falling back 0-2 in the series to the Blue Jays, a deficit that ultimately became too great for the team to overcome. 

If the Yankees hope to make a deep postseason run this October, they will need a sharp Fried to give them multiple good starts. The team has the bullpen to shorten the game, so they just need Fried to give them enough length to get there. But if he's unable to locate and make competitive pitches ahead in the count, we could be looking at another early playoff exit for the Yankees. 

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