The New York Yankees recently lost their ace, Gerrit Cole, to a season-ending elbow injury. With Cole going down, New York has a lot of question marks to answer heading into the season.
While losing Cole is a massive blow, it doesn’t, by any means, end the team’s season. General manager Brian Cashman has put together a very talented team of players to compete in 2025.
ESPN’s Jeff Passan recently suggested New York’s campaign would hinge on the performance of its new ace, Max Fried.
“With a blown-out elbow sidelining Gerrit Cole for the season, the impetus on Fried to fill his Opening Day-starter role — and the responsibility that comes with it — is immense,” Passan wrote. “New York extended beyond the expected payday for Fried with an eight-year, $218 million free agent contract, and between Cole’s Tommy John surgery and Luis Gil’s strained lat that will keep him on the shelf for at least two months, the Yankees’ starting pitching depth collapsed within a month of showing up to camp.
“Fried’s steadiness enthralled the Yankees, and if they have any hopes of a World Series return, it will be on the back of his 30-plus starts.”
Not only does Fried need to stay healthy this year, but he also needs to dominate. New York’s season depends on it.
The lefty is the right man for the job. Over the course of his eight-year big league career, Fried holds a 3.07 ERA in nearly 1,000 innings. The 31-year-old posted a dominant All-Star campaign last season with a 3.25 ERA, 3.33 FIP, and 1.16 WHIP.
Passan is exactly right when he suggests the Yankees’ season hinges on Fried. With Cole and Luis Gil on the sideline, the southpaw will need to be dominant.
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