- Joined
- May 8, 2002
- Posts
- 1,242,258
- Reaction score
- 59
When the Yankees signed Max Fried to a historic contract in December of 2024, they envisioned him forming a prolific 1-2 punch atop their rotation with Gerrit Cole.
Some 19 months later, that vision is finally coming to fruition.
Cole started the first game of Wednesday’s doubleheader against the Pittsburgh Pirates in the Bronx, and Fried was set to follow in the nightcap, marking the first time the All-Star hurlers have been healthy at the same time as teammates.
“We have high hopes this year, and those are two of the big reasons why,” manager Aaron Boone said. “Hopefully we’ve got a good run in us with them right in the middle of it.”
Cole pitched well in the Yankees’ 5-3 loss in extra innings to open the doubleheader, limiting the Pirates — his original team — to three runs over seven innings with 11 strikeouts.
Armed with a crisp fastball that he dialed up to 99 mph, Cole retired the first 14 batters he faced.
Nick Gonzales became the Pirates’ first baserunner when he lined a clean single with two outs in the fifth, and Jacob Gonzalez followed by pulling a two-run home run into the short right-field porch on a Cole changeup.
Gonzales added an insurance run with a solo home run against a 97-mph Cole fastball in the seventh, putting Pittsburgh up 3-0.
But it was an overall impressive outing by Cole, who elicited 21 swings and misses — including 13 on his four-seamer — over 93 pitches and did not issue a walk.
The seven innings marked a season-high for Cole, as did the 11 strikeouts, which were his most since Aug. 25, 2023.
Cole (3-5, 3.92 ERA) took a no-decision, as Ben Rice tied the game, 3-3, with a three-run home run against right-handed reliever Carmen Mlodzinski in the bottom of the seventh. It was the 30th home run of the season for Rice, extending the first baseman’s career-high in his second full big-league campaign.
Pittsburgh retook the lead with two runs against Fernando Cruz in the top of the 10th — a jam fellow reliever Kervin Castro escaped with bases-loaded strikeouts of Bryan Reynolds and Esmerlyn Valdez.
Pirates closer Gregory Soto nailed down the save with a 1-2-3 bottom of the 10th.
The Yankees were set to activate Fried (4-3, 3.21 ERA) for Wednesday night’s game after the left-hander spent more than two months on the injured list due to a bone bruise in his throwing elbow.
Fried began a rehab assignment last week, throwing 52 pitches over three innings at Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre, where he allowed two runs with three strikeouts against Worcester.
The 32-year-old left-hander was originally scheduled to make a second minor-league rehab start on Wednesday and then rejoin the Yankees’ rotation next week.
But that plan changed when the Yankees’ game against the Pirates on Tuesday night was rained out, setting up Wednesday’s split-admission doubleheader.
Had the Yankees used both Cole and Will Warren — who had been scheduled to start Tuesday — on Wednesday, neither would be available to pitch on normal rest this weekend in Philadelphia, leaving the team a starter short.
So in a surprise decision, the Yankees decided to deploy Fried in Wednesday’s nightcap and let him continue to build his pitch count up in the majors.
“It just lined up and made a lot of sense,” Boone said.
Two offseasons ago, the Yankees signed Fried to an eight-year, $218 million contract — the biggest ever for a left-handed pitcher — as part of their pivot after losing superstar slugger Juan Soto to the crosstown Mets.
At that point, Cole was only a year removed from winning the 2023 American League Cy Young Award, and he had just pitched valiantly in the Yankees’ five-game World Series loss to the Los Angeles Dodgers.
However, Cole underwent Tommy John surgery in March of 2025, costing him the entire 2025 season and the start of this one.
Six days before Cole made his 2026 debut in late May, Fried landed on the IL.
At long last, both are healthy, further bolstering a rotation that’s now also headlined by 25-year-old flamethrower Cam Schlittler, a Cy Young contender at 9-6 with a 2.19 ERA in his first full MLB season.
Cole, Fried, Schlittler and Carlos Rodón — who is currently sidelined with left elbow inflammation — give the Yankees four All-Star starters who, on paper, should stack up with any opposing staff come October.
Continue reading...
Some 19 months later, that vision is finally coming to fruition.
Cole started the first game of Wednesday’s doubleheader against the Pittsburgh Pirates in the Bronx, and Fried was set to follow in the nightcap, marking the first time the All-Star hurlers have been healthy at the same time as teammates.
“We have high hopes this year, and those are two of the big reasons why,” manager Aaron Boone said. “Hopefully we’ve got a good run in us with them right in the middle of it.”
Cole pitched well in the Yankees’ 5-3 loss in extra innings to open the doubleheader, limiting the Pirates — his original team — to three runs over seven innings with 11 strikeouts.
Armed with a crisp fastball that he dialed up to 99 mph, Cole retired the first 14 batters he faced.
Nick Gonzales became the Pirates’ first baserunner when he lined a clean single with two outs in the fifth, and Jacob Gonzalez followed by pulling a two-run home run into the short right-field porch on a Cole changeup.
Gonzales added an insurance run with a solo home run against a 97-mph Cole fastball in the seventh, putting Pittsburgh up 3-0.
But it was an overall impressive outing by Cole, who elicited 21 swings and misses — including 13 on his four-seamer — over 93 pitches and did not issue a walk.
The seven innings marked a season-high for Cole, as did the 11 strikeouts, which were his most since Aug. 25, 2023.
Cole (3-5, 3.92 ERA) took a no-decision, as Ben Rice tied the game, 3-3, with a three-run home run against right-handed reliever Carmen Mlodzinski in the bottom of the seventh. It was the 30th home run of the season for Rice, extending the first baseman’s career-high in his second full big-league campaign.
Pittsburgh retook the lead with two runs against Fernando Cruz in the top of the 10th — a jam fellow reliever Kervin Castro escaped with bases-loaded strikeouts of Bryan Reynolds and Esmerlyn Valdez.
Pirates closer Gregory Soto nailed down the save with a 1-2-3 bottom of the 10th.
The Yankees were set to activate Fried (4-3, 3.21 ERA) for Wednesday night’s game after the left-hander spent more than two months on the injured list due to a bone bruise in his throwing elbow.
Fried began a rehab assignment last week, throwing 52 pitches over three innings at Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre, where he allowed two runs with three strikeouts against Worcester.
The 32-year-old left-hander was originally scheduled to make a second minor-league rehab start on Wednesday and then rejoin the Yankees’ rotation next week.
But that plan changed when the Yankees’ game against the Pirates on Tuesday night was rained out, setting up Wednesday’s split-admission doubleheader.
Had the Yankees used both Cole and Will Warren — who had been scheduled to start Tuesday — on Wednesday, neither would be available to pitch on normal rest this weekend in Philadelphia, leaving the team a starter short.
So in a surprise decision, the Yankees decided to deploy Fried in Wednesday’s nightcap and let him continue to build his pitch count up in the majors.
“It just lined up and made a lot of sense,” Boone said.
Two offseasons ago, the Yankees signed Fried to an eight-year, $218 million contract — the biggest ever for a left-handed pitcher — as part of their pivot after losing superstar slugger Juan Soto to the crosstown Mets.
At that point, Cole was only a year removed from winning the 2023 American League Cy Young Award, and he had just pitched valiantly in the Yankees’ five-game World Series loss to the Los Angeles Dodgers.
However, Cole underwent Tommy John surgery in March of 2025, costing him the entire 2025 season and the start of this one.
Six days before Cole made his 2026 debut in late May, Fried landed on the IL.
At long last, both are healthy, further bolstering a rotation that’s now also headlined by 25-year-old flamethrower Cam Schlittler, a Cy Young contender at 9-6 with a 2.19 ERA in his first full MLB season.
Cole, Fried, Schlittler and Carlos Rodón — who is currently sidelined with left elbow inflammation — give the Yankees four All-Star starters who, on paper, should stack up with any opposing staff come October.
Continue reading...
