Max Fried sparks crowd frenzy by ditching Mets hat at Yankees autograph event

Max Fried has been a revelation for the New York Yankees this season. After missing out on re-signing Juan Soto this offseason, the Bronx Bombers quickly pivoted elsewhere on the free agent, bringing in Fried on an 8-year, $218,000,000 contract. It's safe to say that fans have been rather pleased with the decision so far this year.

So far in 2025, Max Fried has been a monster on the mound for the New York Yankees, posting an impressive 6-0 record with a 1.29 ERA and 60 strikeouts over 62.2 innings of work. Even though this level of production will undoubtedly help a player win over some of his new fans, the two-time All-Star may have helped endear himself to the notoriously tough Yankees fanbase.

During an autograph session hosted by Fantatics, Fried showcased his disgust when he was handed a hat of the New York Mets. The superstar simply tossed the hat aside, looking annoyed at the gag. Max Fried sent Yankees fans to social media to praise their superstar pitcher and his attitude towards the Mets hat.

"He's been trained for this moment his entire career" - One fan posted on social media.

"A pitcher who spent his first 8 years in Atlanta and is now with the Yankees doesn’t like the Mets, what a shocker" - Another fan shared.

"I love my goat Max!" - One more fan added.

It is important to note that Max Fried has spent his entire MLB career serving as a rival to the New York Mets after spending 8 years as a member of the Atlanta Braves. This is something that Braves fans have been quick to mention on social media, saying that Fried's disdain for the Mets is actually due to his time in Atlanta as opposed to his short time with the Yankees.

"This is more from being a Braves than a Yankee" - One fan shared.

"Bro, he's been hating the Mets his entire career. This is not a Yankees thing" - Another fan posted.

"How stupid you have to be to think it’s cause he’s a Yankee and not because he’s still a Brave at heart" - One more added.

Max Fried has emerged as one of the betting favorites of the AL Cy Young Award

Fried as quickly established himself as one of the most important pitchers in baseball as he has been heavily reliable upon by New York. Despite being viewed as a World Series contender, the Yankees have been ravaged by injuries to pitchers such as Gerrit Cole, Marcus Stroman, and Lui Gil, making Fried's strong performances even more important.

It's not just the Yankees that are appreciating the work that Max Fried has put in this year, but also sportsbooks such as FanDuel, who current have Fried as having teh 3rd best odds to win the AL Cy Young Award. Currently, Fried (+480) sits behind only Tarik Skubal (+195) and Hunter Brown (+440) for the prestigious award.