Red Sox legend's influence in Max Fried's signature pitch highlighted by MLB insider Jon Morosi

New York Yankees pitcher Max Fried has had a solid start to the 2025 season. Fried has adjusted to the American League seamlessly after signing an 8-year, $218 million contract last offseason.

His teammate Paul Goldschmidt talked about his signature curveball, saying it’s hard to hit against him as it’s one of his six pitch styles. However, it seems the Yankees have Boston Red Sox legend, Reggie Smith, to thank for Fried’s dominance.

MLB insider Jon Morosi talked about how Smith influenced Fried since his childhood days. Despite the rivalry between the Red Sox and the Yankees, Morosi said the pinstripes will have to appreciate Smith for making an impact on Fried’s play style.

“...the home team is certainly thrilled with the man on the mound tonight in Max Fried, and they have the Red Sox indirectly to thank for his brilliant repertoire,” Jon Morosi said. “Max Fried learned his curveball from the former Red Sox outfielder Reggie Smith.”

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Growing up in Encino, California, he attended Reggie Smith’s baseball academy from a young age. In 2022, Max Fried spoke to MLB Network on how Smith influenced and shaped him to be the version he is now.

“[Smith] is an outfielder, but he [is] someone who [is] a big mentor to me,” Fried said. “He is someone who shaped my pitching and baseball playing. He was showing me different grips [on the curveball]. He is probably one of the smartest baseball people I have ever been around."

Despite being an outfielder all his career, Smith taught Fried how and when to use a curveball by keeping his natural arm position to avoid strain.

Max Fried’s performance in 2025

In seven starts this season, Fried has American League-best 1.01 ERA with a 6-0 record. He has a WHIP of 0.94 with 39 strikeouts.

His stellar comand and consistency has boosted the New York Yankees in the absence of Gerrit Cole, who is out for the season. Before joining the Bronx Bombers, the All-Star ace played for the Atlanta Braves and the San Diego Padres.

About the author

Kaushani Chatterjee is a baseball journalist at Sportskeeda with a Master's in English and over 4 years of experience at publications such as FirstSportz.

Kaushani 's favorite teams are the New York Yankees and Los Angeles Dodgers. She is a fan of Yankees as a group, their star power and their history oozes class. As for the Dodgers, Kaushani likes Mookie Betts and Freddie Freeman.

She started watching the MLB during her school years and developed a keen interest in the sport. Now she is hooked.

Kaushani's hobbies include guitar, sketching, watching anime (tons of them), listening to music, and watching Asian dramas (Korean/Thai in general).

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Edited by Chaitanya Prakash