Facing the Mets is nothing new for Max Fried.
In eight seasons with the Atlanta Braves, the left-handed Fried threw more innings (109) against the Mets than any other opponent, while his 23 appearances and 18 starts were tied for his most against any team.
Fried’s 2.48 ERA versus the Mets was his lowest against any of the Braves’ National League East rivals.
But Sunday night marks his first start against the Mets as a member of the Yankees — and his official introduction to the Subway Series.
I just enjoy competing,” Fried told the Daily News on Saturday. “I just enjoy going out there and playing, so these matchups, especially when it’s Mets-Yankees, it’s exciting.”
Fried watched from the dugout as the Yankees won Friday night’s Subway Series opener, 6-2, and then as they fell, 3-2, on Saturday afternoon.
Both games in the Bronx were sellouts — and very rowdy.
“I grew up in Los Angeles, so you get a little bit of that with some Lakers-Clippers stuff, just being in the same city,” Fried said. “They shared the same stadium for a while. It’s cool. It’s a cool rivalry that everyone’s really looking forward to, and obviously you could see [it in Friday’s opener] with the energy in the stadium.”
Fried, 31, is off to a stellar start in his first season with the Yankees.
He entered Sunday with a 1.11 ERA, the lowest among qualified pitchers, through nine starts, while his 6-0 record gave him a share of the MLB lead in wins.
When the Yankees signed Fried in the winter to an eight-year, $218 million contract — the biggest deal ever for a left-handed pitcher — it marked their first major addition following the departure of slugger Juan Soto.
Soto signed a record-setting 15-year, $765 million deal with the Mets following an unprecedented bidding war with the Yankees, Toronto Blue Jays, Boston Red Sox and Los Angeles Dodgers.
“I was waiting for him to sign, so I was definitely watching him and seeing how that was shaping out,” Fried said of Soto. “But I haven’t given too much thought of what [would have] happened if something else [did]. I was excited to get the opportunity to come here, and I’ve been really enjoying it so far.”
That was part of a fluid offseason for both clubs. After adding Fried, the Yankees also signed first baseman Paul Goldschmidt and traded for outfielder Cody Bellinger and reliever Devin Williams.
They showed interest, too, in right-handed starter Griffin Canning, who ultimately signed a one-year, $4.25 million deal with the Mets.
“If we didn’t end up with Fried and this second group of players, we probably would have gone the Soto-Canning path,” Yankees pitching coach Matt Blake told The News on Saturday.
Fried has been a godsend for the Yankees, who entered Sunday with an 8-1 record in the games he started. The Yankees have leaned on him even more after ace Gerrit Cole underwent season-ending elbow surgery during spring training.
In his lone start against the Mets last season, Fried hurled seven no-hit innings at Citi Field before exiting with 109 pitches. The Mets spoiled that no-hit bid with two outs in the ninth against Braves closer Raisel Iglesias.
Going into Sunday’s game, Mets shortstop Francisco Lindor was 3-for-28 (.107) with a home run in his career against Fried, while left fielder Brandon Nimmo was 3-for-27 (.111).
First baseman Pete Alonso was 10-for-36 (.278) with two homers and 12 strikeouts.
Soto, who faced Fried regularly as a member of the Washington Nationals, was 9-for-27 (.333) with five walks and nine strikeouts, with a double accounting for his lone extra-base hit.
“He’s obviously got a really good heater,” Alonso said of Fried. “He can command the ball inside and out of the zone, and I think it’s his control, control of where he wants to put the ball on a consistent basis. He’s obviously got really good stuff. He’s a great arm.”
Fried was part of the Braves’ tight division battle with the Mets in 2022, as well as last year’s playoff push that took both teams down to the wire.
He won the World Series with the Braves in 2021.
Now with the Yankees, Fried is again embracing the biggest stage.
“It’s been really great to get to play with these guys,” Fried said. “I’ve got really great teammates who want to go out there and win every day. We’re playing some good baseball right now, and it’s been a lot of fun to go out there and compete.”
