Max Fried Bio, Age, Parents, Wife, Children, Net Worth

Max Fried Bio, Age, Parents, Wife, Children, Net Worth – Max Fried is known to be a highly skilled American professional baseball pitcher and the current team that he plays for is the Atlanta Braves in Major League Baseball (MLB).

Max Fried Biography

Born on January 18, 1994, he was drafted by the San Diego Padres in the first round of the 2012 MLB draft, being the seventh overall pick. Fried’s journey in the major leagues began in 2017 when he made his debut.

In 2019, Max Fried showcased his pitching prowess by securing 17 wins, the second-highest in the National League. He followed this up with seven wins in 2020, again ranking second in the NL. Through the 2021 season, Fried held the second-highest win-loss percentage among Braves career leaders, standing at an impressive .690. Notably, he played a pivotal role in the 2021 World Series, pitching six shutout innings in the final game against the Houston Astros, contributing to the Braves’ first World Series title in 26 years.

Max Fried’s excellence extends beyond his pitching, as evidenced by his achievements in 2020. He clinched the NL Gold Glove Award and the Fielding Bible Award at the pitcher’s position. In 2021, he repeated this feat, adding the Silver Slugger Award for pitchers to his collection, making him only the third pitcher in MLB history to win both awards in the same year. Additionally, he earned a spot on the All-MLB Team in both 2020 and 2021. In 2022, Fried continued to shine, earning an All-Star nomination and securing his third consecutive Gold Glove Award as a pitcher.

Max Fried’s baseball journey began early, as he started attending the Reggie Smith Baseball Academy in Encino, California, at the age of seven. There, he even learned how to throw a curveball from the retired outfielder.

He initially attended Montclair College Preparatory School in Van Nuys, Los Angeles, where he excelled in baseball, football, and basketball. During his sophomore year, under the guidance of pitching coach Ethan Katz, Fried achieved an impressive record of 10-3 with a 1.81 ERA.

He was honored as the Olympic League MVP and earned a place on the All-California Interscholastic Federation (CIF) Division V first team. In his junior year, Fried maintained his outstanding performance with a 7-3 record and a 1.31 ERA, striking out 100 batters in 69 innings while also contributing as an outfielder with a .360 batting average, four home runs, and 30 RBIs. He was recognized as the 2011 Southern California Jewish Sports Hall of Fame Male High School Athlete of the Year.

Following Montclair Prep’s decision to discontinue its baseball team after Fried’s junior year, he transferred to Harvard-Westlake School in Los Angeles. There, he continued to impress and played alongside future MLB pitchers Lucas Giolito and Jack Flaherty. In his senior year in 2012, Fried compiled an 8-2 record with a 2.02 ERA, striking out 105 batters in 66 innings. He received recognition as a 2012 Rawlings-Perfect Game 1st Team All-American.

Max Fried’s professional journey took off when the San Diego Padres selected him in the first round, seventh overall, in the 2012 MLB draft. Despite his commitment to the UCLA Bruins baseball team, Fried chose to sign with the Padres for $3 million.

He made his professional debut with the Arizona League Padres in 2012, spending the entire season there and posting a 0-1 record with a 3.57 ERA in 17.2 innings pitched. Fried played for the Fort Wayne TinCaps in 2013, where he recorded a 6-7 record with a 3.49 ERA in 23 starts.

His performance earned him recognition as the 43rd-best prospect in the minors by MLBPipeline by the end of the year. He was also named an MiLB.com Padres Organization All Star, with Baseball America ranking his curveball as the best in the Padres’ minor league system.

In 2014, Max Fried was ranked as the top pitching prospect and the second-best overall prospect in the Padres’ organization by MLB.com. Unfortunately, he spent most of the year injured and did not make his season debut until July. In August 2014, Fried underwent Tommy John surgery, causing him to miss the remainder of the 2014 season.

On December 19, 2014, Fried, along with Jace Peterson, Dustin Peterson, and Mallex Smith, was traded to the Atlanta Braves in exchange for Justin Upton and Aaron Northcraft.

He made his return to action on April 9, 2016, with the Rome Braves and spent the entire 2016 season there, compiling an 8-7 record with a 3.93 ERA in 21 games (20 starts). Fried’s performance in the South Atlantic League earned him the recognition of being the 6th-best prospect, according to Baseball America. During the season, his fastball, initially clocked at 93-94 mph, reached 96-97 mph in the second half. Following the season, the Braves added Fried to their 40-man roster.

Max Fried received his first invitation to spring training at the beginning of the 2017 season. He started the season with the Mississippi Braves at the Class AA level. In May, MLB.com ranked him as the Braves’ No. 8 prospect overall, and in July, he was listed as the #89 prospect in minor league baseball. Fried earned the Southern League Pitcher of the Week title for the week ending April 30.

Max Fried’s major league debut came on August 8, 2017, when he was called up to the Atlanta Braves. He threw two scoreless innings against the Philadelphia Phillies, showcasing a remarkable curveball. However, he later returned to the minor leagues, joining the AAA Gwinnett Braves. In his 26 innings pitched for the Braves that season, Fried achieved a 1-1 record with a 3.81 ERA.

After the 2017 season, Max Fried joined the Peoria Javelinas of the Arizona Fall League, where he was named the league Player of the Week on October 31. He led the league in strikeouts with 32 in 26 innings and posted a 3-1 record with a 1.73 ERA in six starts.

Additionally, he ranked first among starters with a .163 opponents’ average, second in fewest baserunners allowed per nine innings (7.96), and was selected to the AFL’s Top Prospects Team. Baseball America rated him as #3 on the AFL Hot Sheet. Braves manager Brian Snitker even considered Fried as a potential fifth starter for the team in 2018.

Fried’s 2018 season began with the AA Mississippi Braves but he soon moved to the Gwinnett Stripers after one game. He was called up to Atlanta in April. In 33.2 innings pitched for the Braves during the 2018 regular season, Fried achieved a 1-4 record with 44 strikeouts and a 2.94 ERA. Impressively, with runners in scoring position, he limited batters to just one hit in 30 at-bats (.033). When facing RISP with two outs, opposing batters were 0-for-14 with eight strikeouts.

In 2022, Fried was named an All-Star for the second consecutive year and earned a salary of $6.85 million through arbitration. During the season, he posted a 14-7 record with a 2.48 ERA, ranking third in the NL and 10th-lowest in Atlanta franchise history.

He also excelled in various pitching statistics, including the lowest percentage of hard-hit balls in the NL, the lowest barrel-percentage against, and being second in fewest walks per nine innings. He tied for fifth in highest LOB (left on base) percentage, showcasing his effectiveness on the mound. Fried’s curveball had the highest vertical movement among all NL pitchers, and he induced batters to swing at his pitches outside the strike zone at a high rate.

From 2019 to 2022, Fried boasted the lowest barrel-percentage against (4.6%) among all major league pitchers, and his 52 wins ranked second only to pitcher Gerrit Cole during that period. His defensive skills were also impressive, as opponents were wary of attempting stolen bases against him. Since his MLB debut in 2017, Fried recorded 23 pickoffs, leading all major league pitchers with a pickoff success rate of 14.29%, significantly higher than the MLB average of 1.6%.

Fried’s fielding abilities earned him the 2022 NL Gold Glove Award at the pitcher’s position, marking his third consecutive Gold Glove win. He became the first Braves pitcher since Greg Maddux to achieve this feat, joining a select group of pitchers in MLB history to win the award three times in a row.

Although he finished second in the voting for the 2022 NL Cy Young Award, Fried’s remarkable achievements in pitching and fielding continued to garner recognition. At the end of the 2022 season, he was selected to his third consecutive All-MLB team.

In 2023, Fried’s salary for the season was determined through the arbitration process, amounting to $13.5 million. He faced a brief stint on the 15-day injured list in April and May, initially for a strained left hamstring and later for a strained left forearm. On June 5, he was transferred to the 60-day injured list but made his comeback on August 4.

Fried’s pitching repertoire includes a four-seam fastball clocked at 94-96 mph, two variations of a 74 mph curveball, an 84 mph slider (since 2019), a 93 mph sinker, and an 84 mph change-up. His curveball, in particular, has been a formidable weapon, holding batters to a low batting average.