Max Fried might not be the first name people think of when they are discussing the league's most consistent pitchers. The Atlanta Braves lefty is in that conversation though and he brushed aside a poor start to the 2024 season with a brilliant pitching display on Tuesday night in Atlanta.
Fried threw a complete game shutout with just 92 pitches, his third career “Maddux” at the MLB level. A “Maddux” is any shutout of nine innings or fewer under 100 pitches. It's of course named after Hall of Fame pitcher and Braves legend Greg Maddux.
“I guess that’s kind of my thing,” Fried said, per Mark Bowman. “It’s just about creating early contact and having the balls go to our defense. Guys made some really nice plays out there tonight, and it was a lot of fun out there.”
Fried struck out six and scattered three hits across nine innings. It was his first complete game and shutout of the season and came at a perfect time as the 30-year-old struggled in his first four starts of the year.
Fried allowed 14 earned runs across his first four starts, making it past the fifth inning once. This last start is a great sign for Fried's future and could be a glimpse into his return to Cy Young contention.
He still has a long way to go though, carrying a 4.97 ERA into his final start of April. Still, he has a 2.77 ERA in 88 starts since the 2020 season. His highest ERA in that span in a single season was 3.04 in 2021.
Braves asking Fried to carry rotation
It's a spot the Braves didn’t want to be in considering the health of Spence Strider, but with the fireballer out for the season, Atlanta needs Max Fried to step up as a formidable ace this year.
It's one thing for him to pitch at his highest level but another for him to stay healthy after he made only 14 starts in 2023. He missed a big chunk of the regular season with a forearm strain and is trying to prove he can get back to an elite level on the mound.
This season is a big deal for Fried as well because it is a contract year for him. He's set to become a free agent for the first time in his career unless the Braves decide to offer him a hefty extension to stick around in Atlanta.
For now Fried just has to focus on pitching and the rest will come. Strider is a perennial Cy Young candidate and a strikeout machine but even without him, the Braves have World Series aspirations on their minds.
Max Fried is tasked with holding down the fort of Atlanta's rotation and pitching deep into games regularly. It was all working for him on Tuesday and the Braves will want more of the same from the All-Star.
The Braves have the best record in the National League at 16-6 and hold a two-game lead over the Philadelphia Phillies for first place in the NL East.
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