The New York Yankees entered Thursday's game against the Baltimore Orioles needing a win. Aaron Boone's team is already preparing for the playoffs, but they have not given up on the American League East yet. The Yankees are within arm's reach of the Toronto Blue Jays for the top spot, even without Gerrit Cole in the mix. A big reason for that is the excellence of Max Fried.

New York general manager Brian Cashman signed Fried in order to upgrade his starting rotation. Cole's season-ending injury pushed Fried into an ace role before the regular season began. While a lot of pitchers would have crumbled under the pressure, Fried met the challenge and passed it with flying colors. He wrapped up his regular season by notching a new career-high.

The Orioles have struggled mightily throughout the season. Fried did not have any issues mowing through the order through the first four innings of his start. According to New York Daily New Sports' Gary Phillips, he set a career-high in strikeouts.

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“Max Fried has set a new career-high with 174 strikeouts this season,” Phillips said.

Having Fried and Carlos Rodon at the top of his rotation has helped Boone immensely. With Aaron Judge back to his normal self, the Yankees are a dangerous team heading into the postseason. Jazz Chisholm Jr. even sent a message that New York is the team to beat in the AL playoff landscape. That confidence has a lot to do with the fact that Fried has been so dominant this season.

Fried and Rodon have already made history this year. If Boone has his wish, both of them will be enough to fuel the Yankees back to the World Series. After an embarrassing showing in 2024, New York is under pressure to win it all. With Fried at the helm, the Yankees can do just that.