History of Max Fried in Timeline

Max Fried is a professional baseball pitcher currently playing for the New York Yankees in MLB. He made his debut in 2017 with the Atlanta Braves. Fried is an American baseball player.

Sections (3)

Full Timeline Career & Achievements Success & Recognition

1917: Matching Babe Ruth's Record

In 2020, Max Fried became the first left-handed pitcher since Babe Ruth in 1917 to start the season by not allowing any home runs through eight starts with his team winning every game.

January 18, 1994: Max Fried Born

On January 18, 1994, Max Dorian Fried was born. He is now an American professional baseball pitcher.

Others born on this day/year

2001: Mike Mussina's Yankee Playoff Debut

In the 2001 ALDS, Mike Mussina achieved a scoreless start of 6+ innings in his Yankee playoff debut, a feat that Max Fried would later match in 2025.

2003: Mike Hampton won both Silver Slugger Award and Gold Glove Award

In 2003, Mike Hampton became one of the MLB pitchers to win both the Silver Slugger Award and Gold Glove Award in the same season, an honor that Max Fried also achieved in 2021.

2009: Maccabiah Games Gold Medal

In 2009, Max Fried pitched for the Maccabiah Games Team USA Juniors baseball team that won a gold medal in Israel.

2011: Southern California Jewish Sports Hall of Fame Award

In 2011, Max Fried was named the Southern California Jewish Sports Hall of Fame Male High School Athlete of the Year.

2012: Drafted by San Diego Padres

In 2012, Fried was selected by the San Diego Padres in the first round, seventh overall in the MLB draft.

2012: Professional Debut

In 2012, Max Fried made his professional debut for the Arizona League Padres, going 0–1 with a 3.57 ERA.

2012: Signed with the San Diego Padres

In 2012, Max Fried was selected by the San Diego Padres in the first round with the seventh overall selection of the Major League Baseball draft and signed with the Padres for $3 million.

2012: Senior Season at Harvard-Westlake School

In 2012, during his senior season at Harvard-Westlake School, Max Fried was 8–2 with a 2.02 ERA, and 105 strikeouts in 66 innings. He was also a Rawlings-Perfect Game 1st Team All-American.

2013: Played for Fort Wayne TinCaps

In 2013, Max Fried played for the Fort Wayne TinCaps, compiling a 6–7 record and 3.49 ERA in 23 starts. He was also ranked as a top prospect and his curveball was recognized.

December 19, 2014: Traded to the Atlanta Braves

On December 19, 2014, Max Fried was traded to the Atlanta Braves.

2014: Tommy John Surgery

In 2014, Max Fried was injured for much of the year and underwent Tommy John surgery in August, missing the remainder of the season.

2014: Traded to the Atlanta Braves

In 2014, Max Fried was traded to the Atlanta Braves.

2015: Recovery from Tommy John Surgery

Max Fried missed the entire 2015 season while recovering from Tommy John surgery.

April 9, 2016: Returned to Action

On April 9, 2016, Max Fried returned to action for the Rome Braves, spending the entire season with them and achieving an 8–7 record and a 3.93 ERA.

August 5, 2017: Called Up to Atlanta Braves

On August 5, 2017, Max Fried was called up to the Atlanta Braves.

2017: Arizona Fall League

At the end of the 2017 season, Fried joined the Peoria Javelinas of the Arizona Fall League. He was named league Player of the Week on October 31. He ranked first among starters with a .163 opponents' batting average, was second in fewest-baserunners-allowed-per-nine-innings (7.96), and was named to the AFL's Top Prospects Team.

2017: Spring Training and Southern League Pitcher of the Week

In 2017, Max Fried was invited to spring training for the first time and was named Southern League Pitcher of the Week for the week ending April 30.

2017: Pickoff leader since 2017 debut

Since his major league debut in 2017 through the end of the 2023 season, Max Fried led major league baseball with 25 pickoffs, highlighting his skill and effectiveness in preventing runners from advancing.

2017: Major league debut and pickoff leader

Since his major league debut in 2017, Max Fried has established himself as a premier pitcher, leading the majors with 23 pickoffs and demonstrating a much higher pickoff percentage than the league average, which continued through 2022.

2018: Re-joined Gwinnett Stripers and Called Up to Atlanta

In 2018, Max Fried began the season with the Double-A Mississippi Braves and then re-joined Gwinnett, now named the Stripers. He was later called up to Atlanta in late April.

2018: Potential Fifth Starter

In December 2017, Braves manager Brian Snitker indicated that Max Fried was a potential candidate for the team's fifth starter in 2018.

2019: NL Pitching Leader 2019-2021

From 2019 to 2021, Max Fried led all National League pitchers in wins (38).

2019: Accumulates most wins in NL since 2019

From 2019 to the end of the 2023 regular season, Max Fried achieved 60 wins, the most in the National League, showcasing his dominance on the mound.

2019: Second in National League Wins

In 2019, Fried was second in the National League in wins with 17.

2019: 2019 Season Performance

In 2019, Max Fried had a 17–6 record with a 4.02 ERA. His 17 wins were second in the National League, and his .739 won-loss percentage was fifth in the league.

2019: Defensive Achievements

In 2019, Max Fried led all major league pitchers in assists for the second consecutive season.

2019: Moved to Starting Rotation

In 2019, Max Fried was placed in the bullpen at the start of the season and later moved to the starting rotation. He was hit on his left hand during a game against the Los Angeles Dodgers on May 7.

2019: Zack Greinke won both Silver Slugger Award and Gold Glove Award

In 2019, Zack Greinke became one of the MLB pitchers to win both the Silver Slugger Award and Gold Glove Award in the same season, an honor that Max Fried also achieved in 2021.

2019: Added slider to pitching arsenal

Since 2019, Max Fried has incorporated an 85-mile-per-hour slider into his pitching repertoire, complementing his other pitches.

2019: Begins four season stretch with lowest barrel-percentage against

Starting in 2019 and continuing through 2022, Max Fried showcased his ability to limit hard contact, achieving the lowest barrel-percentage against (4.6%) among all major league pitchers.

2020: Ace Pitcher

During the 2020 season, Max Fried became Atlanta's ace, with a 7–0 win–loss record, a 2.25 ERA, and leading the major leagues in win–loss percentage (1.000) and pickoffs (4).

2020: Second in National League Wins

In 2020, Fried was second in the National League in wins with 7.

2020: Finished fifth in Cy Young Award voting

In 2020, Max Fried finished fifth in the voting for the NL Cy Young Award, marking one of two times he finished in the top five for the award by 2022.

2020: Awards Won in 2020

In 2020, Max Fried won the NL Gold Glove Award and the Fielding Bible Award.

2020: Gold Glove and Fielding Bible Awards

In 2020, Max Fried won the NL Gold Glove Award and the Fielding Bible Award. He was also named a starter on the 2020 All-MLB First Team and came in fifth in voting for the 2020 NL Cy Young Award.

July 4, 2021: Walk-Off Single

On July 4, 2021, Max Fried had a pinch-hit, walk-off, single against the Miami Marlins.

August 20, 2021: Complete Game Shutout

On August 20, 2021, Max Fried pitched his first career complete game shutout, a Maddux, against the Baltimore Orioles.

2021: NL Pitching Leader 2019-2021

From 2019 to 2021, Max Fried tied for the lead in shutouts (2).

2021: World Series Win

In 2021, Fried pitched 6 shutout innings in the final game of the World Series against the Houston Astros, helping lead the Braves to their first championship in 26 years.

2021: Named to All-MLB Second Team

In 2021, Max Fried was named a starter on the All-MLB Second Team for the second consecutive year. His win-loss percentage also ranked high among Braves career leaders.

2021: Awards Won in 2021

In 2021, Max Fried won the Gold Glove Award again, as well as the Silver Slugger Award for pitchers, becoming the third pitcher in MLB history to win both awards in the same year. He was also named to the All-MLB Team.

2021: Won NL Gold Glove Award

In 2021, Max Fried won the National League Gold Glove Award at pitcher for the second consecutive year, becoming the third Braves pitcher to achieve this multiple times.

2021: Lowest batting average with curveball

In 2021, Max Fried's curveball resulted in the lowest batting average against him (.160), demonstrating its effectiveness as a pitch.

2021: 2021 Regular Season Performance

In the 2021 regular season, Max Fried had a 14–7 record with a 3.04 ERA, and his 14 wins were 5th in the NL. In 28 starts he threw 2 shutouts (leading the league).

2022: Lowest barrel-percentage against among major league pitchers

From 2019 to 2022, Max Fried had the lowest barrel-percentage against (4.6%) of all major league pitchers, and his 52 wins were second in the major leagues. Opponents became hesitant to run on him due to his high pickoff rate. In 2022, he continued to excel.

2022: Named NL Gold Glove Award Winner and inducted into Hall of Fame

In 2022, Max Fried was named the NL Gold Glove Award winner for the third straight year and inducted into the Southern California Jewish Sports Hall of Fame. He also finished second in the voting for the NL Cy Young Award and was selected to his third consecutive All-MLB team.

2022: Named to Opening Day start and All-Star Game roster

In 2022, Max Fried was named to his second straight Opening Day start. His salary was set at $6.85 million via arbitration, and he was also named to the 2022 Major League Baseball All-Star Game roster.

2022: Third Consecutive Gold Glove Award

In 2022, Max Fried won his third consecutive Gold Glove Award at pitcher.

2022: Silver Slugger Award discontinued for pitchers

In 2022, the National League permanently implemented the designated hitter, marking Max Fried as the final recipient of the Silver Slugger Award for pitchers.

2023: Wins and pickoff statistics

From the beginning of his first full season in 2019 to the end of the 2023 regular season, Max Fried recorded 60 wins, the most in the NL and second in MLB. His 25 pickoffs since debuting in 2017 were the most in major league baseball.

2023: Opening Day starter and injured list stints

In 2023, Max Fried's salary was determined by arbitration at $13.5 million, and he was the Opening Day starter for the third straight season. He spent time on the injured list in April and May for a strained left hamstring and a strained left forearm, respectively, and was later transferred to the 60-day injured list before being activated on August 4.

2023: Regular season performance in 2023

In the 2023 regular season, Max Fried showcased his skills with an 8-1 record and a 2.55 ERA, the second-lowest among major league pitchers with at least 14 starts. He recorded one shutout and struck out 80 batters in 77.2 innings. He also demonstrated exceptional performance against his curveball and ranked high in various pitching metrics among NL pitchers.

December 17, 2024: Signed contract with New York Yankees

On December 17, 2024, Max Fried signed an eight-year, $218 million contract with the New York Yankees, the largest contract issued to a left-handed pitcher at the time.

2024: Agreed to $15 million contract and season debut

In 2024, Max Fried agreed to a one-year $15 million contract with the Braves, his final season before free agency. His Opening Day start streak ended, and he had a short season debut. On April 23, Fried pitched a complete game shutout. Fried pitched a scoreless inning in the All-Star Game.

2024: Season statistics and qualifying offer

In 2024, Max Fried had an 11-10 record with one shutout in 29 starts. He led the NL in ground ball percentage and induced the second-lowest exit velocity. At the end of the season, Fried received and declined a qualifying offer from the Braves.

2024: Fourth Best Career Win-Loss Percentage

Through 2024, Max Fried had the fourth best career win–loss percentage of all Braves pitchers, at .670.

March 29, 2025: Yankees debut

On March 29, 2025, Max Fried made his debut with the New York Yankees against the Milwaukee Brewers, pitching 42⁄3 innings and allowing two runs.

September 2025: Named AL Pitcher of the Month for September

Max Fried was named the American League Pitcher of the Month in September 2025, showcasing his exceptional performance with a 1.89 ERA and 35 strikeouts.

November 2, 2025: Won Gold Glove Award

On November 2, 2025, Max Fried won his fourth career Gold Glove Award and his first as an American League pitcher, solidifying his reputation as an exceptional defensive player.