LOS ANGELES — During the afternoon of Aug. 7, 2018, just after the Braves dropped the first game of a doubleheader, Max Fried stood frustrated in the hallway of the visiting clubhouse of Nationals Park. Fried, in his second season but still holding rookie status, was talking with reporters about another injury.
Fried took a liner off his hip and left his outing early. He was going on the injured list. It continued a frustrating beginning to his young career, plagued by injuries (largely blisters) that prevented him from securing a start every fifth day.
“It feels like a lifetime ago but also feels like yesterday,” Fried said Monday. “It’s like a weird, weird conundrum.”
These days, Fried only has reasons to smile. Since 2020, he’s been among baseball’s best starters. Fried started Game 6 of the World Series last year, joining Tom Glavine as lefties with championship-clinching performances in Atlanta Braves history.
This year has been his best, resulting in Fried earning his first All-Star nod. He won’t pitch in the game – those seven innings he gave the Braves over the weekend were more important – but he’s getting to experience the festivities in his hometown.
Fried, 28, will have plenty of family and friends on hand – he’s had a lot of people reach out – and he appreciates all the congratulations and support he’s received, from family to friends to Braves fans.
“It’s special,” said Fried, a Santa Monica native. “As a kid, you dream about stuff like making an All-Star game. I think in my head, you always hoped it would be at Dodger Stadium, growing up not too far away. So to have it actualized into reality, it’s really special. And it’s awesome to share it with some of my teammates.”
Fried anchors the Braves’ rotation. He’s 10-3 with a 2.64 ERA. He owns a 109:22 strikeout-to-walk ratio over 119 ⅓ innings. He’s tied for the most starts in the majors, while his inning total ranks third. Opponents are hitting .235 against him with a .591 OPS.
The only pitchers with better fWAR than Fried (3.5) are Sandy Alcantara (4.0), Carlos Rodon (3.8) and Kevin Gausman (3.7). By every metric, Fried has an argument as a top-five starter in the sport.
That certainly makes him a worthy peer of pitchers including Clayton Kershaw, Justin Verlander and Gerrit Cole.
“It’s kind of weird to be in the same place as them, some of the most elite pitchers for a long time,” Fried said. “So to be put in the same conversation, or at least in some areas, being an All-Star, it’s humbling. It’s a pretty cool experience.”
Fried finished fifth in Cy Young voting in 2020, the shortened campaign. He carried his success into the full 2021 season, posting a 3.04 ERA over 28 starts. He also won a Gold Glove and Silver Slugger (who could forget his walk-off hit July 4 against the Marlins?).
He made five starts in the postseason, his final outing his most notable: Fried pitched six scoreless innings against the Astros to help secure the Braves’ title.
“I would pick Max in a Game 7 of the World Series,” Braves third baseman Austin Riley said. “If I needed somebody, I’d pick him. He’s a dog fighter, and he kicks it into another gear when he needs to. He’s the elite of the elite.”
This is Fried’s third consecutive season of excellent performance. He owns a 2.77 ERA across his last 58 starts. Those pesky blister issues seem long ago.
“He’s tough,” said Rangers shortstop Corey Seager, formerly with the Dodgers. “Smart pitcher, knows how to use his stuff, commands well. All the little things that you put on top of having good stuff. It makes for a tough at-bat, that’s for sure.”
Former Braves and current Dodgers first baseman Freddie Freeman added: “Max, man, he’s special. I was saying what a special left arm that is six years ago. He’s really come into his own. One of the best pitchers in the game. For him to be back home, for his family to see him at an All-Star game at Dodger Stadium is going to be special.”
An All-Star berth is just the latest achievement for Fried, who likely has more acclaimed success in his future. More All-Star appearances, more rings, a Cy Young; it’s all on the table with the level of player Fried has become. He’s no longer the “next” great Braves ace. He’s the Braves’ great ace.
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