All-Stars marvel at Max Fried, one of the best pitchers in Atlanta Braves history

Did such an exceptional career have an impact on him?

“No,” he said Monday at All-Star media day. “For me, I still feel like the guy that got called up and bounced up and down trying to fight for his spot. That’s what allowed me to have some success and know that I’m good enough to compete at this level. Just like that mindset of staying in the present and focusing on what’s happening today. All of this information (written above) is the first time I’ve heard it.”

Fried was named to the All-Star team this weekend, replacing Ranger Suarez of the Phillies. He didn’t play in his first All-Star game in 2019, but he’s expected to make an appearance Tuesday. When Fried missed the initial All-Star roster, it was thought he’d eventually make the team in some capacity.

“(Fried) texted me when they announced the All-Star team, and I said, ‘I didn’t see your name, I don’t know why,’” said Dodgers All-Star and former Braves first baseman Freddie Freeman. “We talked a long time since I first saw him and talked about his special left arm. Then you get to know the person, too, and who he is. You get the whole package. When he was announced a couple days ago, it made sense. He’s been one of the best pitchers in the game for a long time. He’s having a great season again. So he deserves to be here.”

In 2024, Fried has had a more-than-usual, sometimes better-than-usual season. He has a 3.08 ERA over 18 starts, including a few bad ones early in the campaign (he has a 2.36 ERA over his last 16 outings). He is the only pitcher to have two complete games. He has thrown 108 innings and could surpass his career high of 185 1/3 innings. Another top-tier Cy Young finish awaits him.

“I think anybody who’s been around Max and watched him understands what he’s capable of,” said Rangers star reliever Kirby Yates, a former Brave. “He’s one of the best pitchers in the game and there’s a reason for that. He’s electric when he’s on that mound.”

His value extends beyond the field, too. Fried is a respected leader, a force for good for the franchise. Whatever intangibles you associate with a “winner,” he possesses them. He has the respect of his peers, both on his clubhouse floor and in the dugout. He has carried himself with class since arriving in Double-A Mississippi in 2017. He has always put the team before himself, and that continues to resonate with those around him.

“It’s his attention to detail,” Braves All-Star starting pitcher Chris Sale said. “He’s a little different than me in the way he pitches, the way he attacks guys, the way he gets out of tough situations. He started a couple days ago, he gave up a lot of hits. And he was a little upset. I thought, ‘Man, if I had given up that many hits, I would have given up 14 runs.’ If I give up five hits, there’s usually three or four runs attached to it.”

“He’s very meticulous in his programs between starts, in his scouting reports. The way he handles all of that is very impressive. Being in there and seeing what’s going on, you’re not surprised by the success he’s had.”

It may be hard to believe that Fried is in his eighth season. It doesn’t seem like long ago that he was hailed as a relief arm during the 2019 National League Division Series. Now, he’s someone other young pitchers look up to. “I think all it means is I’ve been around a while, but it’s cool,” Fried said.

Cole Ragans, Royals All-Star left-hander: “I’ve watched a lot of video (of Fried). His repertoire is pretty similar (to mine), I would say. His curveball is a little bit bigger. But I’ve watched how he uses his curveball just to incorporate mine in that sense. You see how he uses it, when he uses it. I’ve watched stuff on that and tried to implement it, working with our pitching coaches and stuff like that.”

Tigers All-Star left-hander Tarik Skubal: “In Atlanta, it was a great opportunity to see Fried do his thing. He can handle the ball a lot of times. What he can do is pretty special.”

And what about some MVP winners who faced Fried?

Yankees All-Star Aaron Judge: “Max Fried, it’s a good way to see him continue to improve as a pitcher year after year. He’s another guy who has a great fastball, can put it where he wants to go. He has a good feel for off-speed pitches. Regardless, he’s a guy who gets into a tough situation and gets out of it. He’s one of the best in the game, for sure.”

Bryce Harper, Phillies All-Star: “He’s a really good player, a really good every-five-day pitcher. He’s got a really good sinker, a really good changeup. He reminds me of Cole Hamels when I first got here. I see him pitching 95, 96 (mph) and then throwing that changeup, that sinker, that big curveball to start. He’s just a really good individual player.”

Freeman: “I’m just happy he’s healthy and playing the way he always does. If Max Fried is healthy, he’s going to play. That’s just the way he is. He’s a bulldog. You saw him get walked in the World Series and throw six scoreless innings after that. His mental ability to control the zone, he doesn’t care who’s hitting, and he does it year in and year out, he should have more than two All-Stars. He’s on his way to having many, many more.”

In the background of Fried’s magnificent final season: the world of professional sports. He’s a free agent this winter. Long-running negotiations between his camp and the Braves have failed to bear fruit. Like Freeman and Dansby Swanson before him, Fried appears destined to become a free agent. By now, Braves fans probably know what that means.

Fried hadn’t spoken publicly about his contract situation much since the start of the season. The Atlanta Journal-Constitution asked him Tuesday if he still hoped to spend his career with the Braves.

“I love the organization 100 percent,” Fried said. “Obviously, there’s a lot of things that – in the middle of the season, we focus on a lot of other things. But I really love it, I loved my time in Atlanta. I love it. I would definitely love to be here.”

For the next few months, it will all come down to the tasks of the day. That approach has worked so far. Fried is thriving in the most pivotal season of his career. That’s great news for the Braves, here and now, and for Fried, today and tomorrow. It says a lot about Fried to those around him, how compartmentalized he is in a situation where expiring contracts have sometimes distracted players.

“You can tell (when it’s a contract year); it’s never going to go away,” Sale said. “(Fried) does a great job of just focusing on what he needs to do. We’ve talked about it. His job is to pitch. You go out there and do that, everything else falls into place. Nothing bad is going to happen. He’s done a great job of sticking to that and not worrying about this or that, last year or next year.”

“He’s got to be a starter, he prepares for it, he goes out there and gives it his all. I have a lot of respect for that. I’ve never been in that situation. I’ve never been in a contract year, free agency year or anything. I don’t know what that feeling is, but I can only imagine. He’s done a hell of a job (of handling that).”