RADIO
Max Fried 2024 Player Outlook: Elite Talent That Can Excel When Healthy
11 months agoHamstring and forearm injuries limited Max Fried to just 14 starts in 2023. When on the mound, Fried was still excellent with an 8-1 W-L record, 2.55 ERA, 1.13 WHIP and 80ks (77.2 IP). Fried had remained relatively healthy in recent seasons as his 572.2 IP between 2019 and 2022 were the 19th most in baseball. He put up a 3.06 ERA in that period so has been consistently brilliant. Despite the injuries, Fried improved his strikeout numbers and his 25.7% K% was a career-high as a full-time starter. That also ranked in the 67th percentile so he shouldn't be overlooked for the pitchers with elite strikeout rates. His underlying numbers support another low ERA season in 2024. Fried had a 3.10 xFIP and 3.38 SIERA last season and now has a 3.23 xFIP and 3.50 SIERA over the last three years. The downside to drafting Fried is he's only reached 166.0 IP once in the Majors (185.1 IP in 2022). However, Fried did have 193.1 IP in 2021 including the postseason. Assuming he can stay healthy, Fried can be a top-five starting pitcher. Taking him as an SP1 comes with risk but it could pay off significantly.
