Starting pitcher Max Fried shined in his New York Yankees debut, earning his second-straight All-Star nomination. However, the Yankees came up short in their bid for a World Series title.
As Fried prepares for the 2026 season, he is focused solely on getting a ring. There are no moral victories when it comes to the left-hander. Fried is World Series or bust, via SNY.
“At the end of the day it's all about winning. You just got to go out there and make sure you win baseball games,” Fried said. “The end goal is to win a World Series and if you don't do that, it's not a good year. You know what the standard is, you know how hard you have to work. Just keeping that in mind when you're grinding out here early in February an March and throughout the season.”
"The end goal is to win a World Series, and if you don't do that, it's not a good year."
– Max Fried pic.twitter.com/Pu8i9i8NC4
— Yankees Videos (@snyyankees) February 12, 2026
Fried did everything in his power to get the Yankees to the top in 2025. He pitched to a 2.86 ERA while registering a career-high 189 strikeouts alongside 51 walks. Fried finished fourth in Cy Young voting, won a Gold Glove and led the major leagues with 19 wins.
The Yankees will be relying on the left-hander throughout the entire season. But his work at the beginning of the campaign will be crucial. Gerrit Cole, Carlos Rodon and Clarke Schmidt are all on the injured list. Fried cannot avoid any missteps without New York's full pitching arsenal at their disposal.
But the lefty is clearly fully aware of the expectations. He knows the Yankees are built to be perennial contenders. The 2026 season will be no different, and Fried is ready to dominate once more.
