You Can't Fool Max Fried - Deadseriousness

On Saturday afternoon, the New York Yankees dogwalked the last-place Colorado Rockies, winning 13-1.

Aaron Judge hit a first-inning, 2-out homer, his AL-leading 18th of the year, and the game was pretty much over as soon as it started.

AARON JUDGE HOME RUN NUMBER 18 pic.twitter.com/142lYcK6lu

— Talkin’ Yanks (@TalkinYanks) May 24, 2025

If that Judge sentencing didn’t suck the thin air out of Coors Field, then Max Fried picking off two baserunners in the bottom of the first inning sealed the Rockies fate.

Max Fried’s Pickoff Move. pic.twitter.com/3qlnbzHzVW

— Rob Friedman (@PitchingNinja) May 24, 2025

Max Fried with his second pickoff in 3 innings pic.twitter.com/r0mVoSQYA5

— Talkin’ Yanks (@TalkinYanks) May 24, 2025

Fried got his 7th win of the season and helped flex his 1.29 ERA, leading all the majors in both stats.

Here’s what he did to the Colorado Pebbles:

7.1 IP
6 hits
1 BB
1 ER
7 Ks

Here’s what Yankees first baseman, Paul Goldschmidt said about Fried’s lethal pickoff move:

“It’s the best move I’ve seen,” Goldschmidt said. “Definitely remember being on first base as an opposing base runner and trying to stay as close to the base as possible. Fortunately I get to see it a lot more, so I get used to it a little bit more.

“Sometimes you see guys hold runners and then they’re not executing their pitch to the hitter. He does such a good job where he’s paying full attention to the base runner, but also executing his pitches.”

Paul Goldschmidt—who’s returned to his 2022 NL MVP form, batting .344 and a 153 wRC+—perfectly nailed what makes Fried’s pickoff so special.

Most pitchers get carried away with base runners—focusing all of their energy into picking off a potential base stealer—forgetting they’re in the midst of an at-bat.

It’s like rubbing your belly and patting the top of your head at the same time—a skill that ha elluded me for over two decades.

Fried is able to terrify the runner at first and immediately lock back into the at-bat, making every single player in the opposing team’s jersey sweat.

Max Fried is a one-man defense. His 1.29 ERA can only be maintained by a machine programmed specifically to deny any player access to home plate.

The Yankees won their 31st game of the year to hold their lead in a strange AL East and…*whispers*…Gerrit Cole isn’t even here yet.

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