Max Fried Proved He's Ready to Be X-Factor for Braves in Playoffs With Dominant Outing vs Nationals
By Chris Pyo
Max Fried has been a revelation not only to the Atlanta Braves, but also to the rest of the MLB.
The lefty starter has been stellar this season, posting a 16-4 record with a 3.86 ERA and 159 strikeouts in 149.1 innings, and he continued showing off his stuff against the playoff-contending Washington Nationals.
Max Fried's curveball vs. Juan Soto ? pic.twitter.com/FreNAke4fw
— FOX Sports South (@FOXSportsSouth) September 6, 2019
Fried went seven innings and allowed just one hit and struck out nine in the Braves' 4-2 win. Unreal.
With the likes of Freddie Freeman, Ronald Acuña Jr. and Josh Donaldson supporting him with their bats, if he can keep this going into the postseason, the Braves will be in very good hands.
Even more impressively, in his last five games, he's gone 5-0 with a 2.90 ERA and 51 Ks. Braves manager Brian Snitker has to be more than fired up by his 25-year-old stud in the making who could be a key X-factor in the starting rotation come playoff time.
On the heels of Max Fried’s 7 IP, 1 H, 0 BB, 9 K effort, I’d note that his command was excellent, with curves falling at the bottom of or below the zone.
— Dan Richards (@Fantasy_Esquire) September 6, 2019
I wrote only a week ago that his kryptonite was curveball command, and a fix would make him deadly: https://t.co/gAZYzdkREc pic.twitter.com/WmLEEdOrKF
Fried pitching like this down the stretch only gives the Braves more confidence in his ability to toe the mound in a high-stakes playoff game, which is exactly what fans need to look forward to given the team's past struggles in handling tougher opponents. Soroka and Fried could be a lethal 1-2 punch and elevate Atlanta past the NLDS.