TAMPA, Fla. — Beginning his first season with the New York Yankees in 2025, Max Fried experienced a difficult start at Dodger Stadium, followed by a six-week stretch of struggles and a disappointing final performance in the Division Series against Toronto. Despite these setbacks, Fried has proven to be an exceptional addition to the Yankees’ pitching staff, signing an eight-year, $218 million deal shortly after Juan Soto declined a $760 million offer to stay with the Mets. Throughout the season, Fried emerged as a top performer, leading the league with 19 wins, completing 32 starts with only five losses, and pitching to a solid 2.86 ERA.
The Yankees especially needed Fried’s contributions after losing two key starters during spring training: Gerrit Cole, the 2023 AL Cy Young Award winner, was out for the entire season, while 2024 AL Rookie of the Year Luis Gil remained sidelined until August. Fried’s performance helped stabilize the rotation and foster hope for the team’s future success.
Personal Favorites Reveal Fried’s Interests Beyond Baseball
At 32 years old, the Southern California native shared his personal favorites in a spring training questionnaire featured by NJ.com, offering fans insight into his life off the field. His teenage celebrity crush is Jessica Alba, and his childhood sports hero was Kobe Bryant. When it comes to entertainment, Fried favors the movie For Love of the Game, actor Matthew McConaughey, actress Natalie Portman, musical artist J. Cole, and the band Queen.
Growing up, Fried’s best little league memory was spending entire weekends playing stickball with friends from dawn till dusk, reflecting on how differently children spend their time nowadays. He enjoys lions and tigers at the zoo, and when watching sports outside of baseball, he supports the Los Angeles Lakers and Los Angeles Kings.
Favorite Places and Activities That Shape Fried’s Life
Fried’s favorite road city to visit is Chicago, where he loves Wrigley Field, his preferred ballpark. He considers Trea Turner the toughest hitter he has faced in competition. Thanksgiving stands out as his favorite holiday, and for entertainment, he enjoys the cartoon series Rick and Morty.
As a child, Fried’s favorite toys were baseball, basketball, and football, while his favorite family vacations involved annual trips to Bass Lake in Madera County, California. There, he fondly recalls boating, tubing, and water skiing with several families, cherishing those moments as some of his most treasured memories growing up.
Hobbies, Food Preferences, and Dream Destinations
Fried has a passion for board games and chess; his family shares a high level of competitiveness across card games, sports, and board activities. Among his top food picks is sushi, and he favors In-N-Out Burger as his preferred fast-food restaurant. Sour Patch Kids are his candy of choice, especially the extra sour varieties, and he likes chips as a snack. Notably, Fried does not drink carbonated beverages; instead, he enjoys Arnold Palmers — a mix of iced tea and lemonade. His favorite ice cream flavor is chocolate, while he avoids olives.
Travel-wise, Fried and his girlfriend recently visited Japan and had an amazing time. Looking ahead, he hopes to explore Australia for a new adventure. His favorite subjects in school were math and science, and when it comes to video games, he enjoys playing Call of Duty and sports-related titles.
Family Connections and Personal Reflections
When asked about three living or deceased individuals he would invite to dinner, Fried chose baseball legend Sandy Koufax and two of his late relatives: his paternal grandmother and maternal grandfather. He expressed interest in understanding more about his family history and learning personal stories from them, since he was quite young when they passed away.
Context Within the Yankees’ Favorites Series
Max Fried’s profile was released on February 17 as part of the Yankees’ Favorites Series, which also highlighted other players and staff including Aaron Boone, Jazz Chisholm, Tim Hill, Amed Rosario, Clarke Schmidt, and Jake Bird over the preceding days. This series provides fans a glimpse into the personalities and preferences of the team’s key figures beyond their athletic performance.
