Major 1-2 punch vanguard of Yankees' rotation

This story was excerpted from Bryan Hoch’s Yankees Beat newsletter. To read the full newsletter, click here. And subscribe to get it regularly in your inbox.

Yankees pitchers and catchers report to Tampa, Fla., on Feb. 11, and with that date approaching, anticipation is building for the 2025 season. This is the first installment in our “Around the Horn” series, breaking down each area of the Yankees’ roster, beginning with starting pitching.

Max Fried considered several possibilities as he approached his first experience on the free-agent market, but a future in Yankees pinstripes was not at the forefront. He’d just watched the team compete in the World Series, believing its starting five looked full and strong.

“Going through this process, you don’t really know who’s going to be interested,” Fried said. “I really only knew one thing in my career, and that was the Braves, so far. So knowing that [the Yankees] had a good team and a pretty good rotation, just hearing that they were interested was definitely a little surprising. But I was definitely excited and honored that they thought I was someone they wanted.”

Indeed, a central piece of the club’s pivot into its post-Juan Soto era has been prioritizing run prevention, making its eight-year, $218 million investment into the left-handed Fried one of the centerpiece moves. The 30-year-old Fried will slot behind ace Gerrit Cole, projecting to give the Bombers a formidable one-two punch at the top.

“I feel like he’s a little bit different version of the starting pitchers that we have,” said pitching coach Matt Blake. “A lot of our guys are strikeout-oriented, a little bit more fly-ball prone. I feel like he’s more of a contact manager, fills up the zone with a lot of different spin options. He’s a little bit different look than what we’ve got.”

Blake noted that especially given Yankee Stadium’s dimensions, there is great importance in limiting home run damage -- an area where Fried has excelled, permitting just 13 long balls in 174 1/3 innings last season with Atlanta. Blake said that he expects Fried to toss 175 to 180 innings, numbers he’s reached only once (2022) previously.

As usual, the tone will be set by Cole, who is set to begin his sixth year as the club’s ace. After missing last season’s first 75 games due to right elbow inflammation, Cole pitched to an 8-5 record and a 3.41 ERA in 17 starts, allowing two runs or fewer in 12 of those outings.

Though he seemed to be treated cautiously at times (notably, Cole was spent after 88 pitches in World Series Game 1), the Yankees say that Cole will enter the spring healthy and ready for a full workload.

“He actually took a little bit less time off this year and kind of kept the arm moving,” Blake said. “He’s in the midst of his throwing program now, so I feel good about where he’s at.”

Fried’s acquisition moves Carlos Rodón back as the left-hander enters his third season in the Bronx. Irked by an injury-marred ’23, Rodón took the ball for a career-high 32 starts during the regular season, going 16-9 with a 3.96 ERA while ranking fourth in the AL in K/9.0 IP (10.03). He allowed three runs or fewer in 24 of 32 starts.

“I think a lot of it has to do with just confidence, confidence in my ability and in myself,” Rodón said in October. “Just finding it and going out there and competing, and proving to myself that I'm able to still play this game, because last year was hard. … I had a goal coming into this year that I just wanted to be confident and go out there and try to make every start I can.”

Luis Gil, who narrowly edged the Orioles’ Colton Cowser to earn honors as the American League’s Rookie of the Year, figures to slot in the back half of the rotation. Gil was excellent as he filled the vacancy left by Cole early in the season, going 15-7 with a 3.50 ERA in 29 starts.

Gil’s 17 starts of zero or one run allowed were tied with the Tigers’ Tarik Skubal and Garrett Crochet, then of the White Sox, for the most in the Majors. He was recognized as the AL’s Pitcher and Rookie of the Month for May, when he was 6-0 with a 0.70 ERA in six starts.

“Coming into Spring Training, the mindset was really focused on doing my job on the field and trying to help the team as much as possible,” Gil said in November. “Eventually this opportunity started sounding as something that could happen. I’m very happy with the results.”

Clarke Schmidt returned from a three-month absence due to a right lat strain to make three postseason starts, including one in the World Series. During the regular season, Schmidt was 5-5 with a 2.85 ERA, with the team going 11-5 in his starts -- including victories in his first five outings.

“I trust myself,” Schmidt said in October. “I think a lot of the work that I put in is on the mind, as well. I try to be fearless when I'm out there. I know that there's very few things that we can control when we're out there, but the one thing that we can control is our mentality and how we handle ourselves out there.”

Fried’s acquisition increased uncertainty surrounding Marcus Stroman, who was moved to the bullpen in September and did not pitch in the playoffs. Signed to a two-year, $37 million deal with a vesting option for ’26 that kicks in if he tosses 140 innings this coming year, Stroman was 10-9 with a 4.31 ERA in 30 games (29 starts).

Stroman’s first half was solid, as he logged a 3.51 ERA in 19 starts, but his performance dropped after the All-Star break. Opponents tagged Stroman for a 5.98 ERA in 11 games (10 starts), including a season-high seven runs allowed in an Aug. 2 loss against Toronto.

The Yankees may be willing to assume some of Stroman’s salary to facilitate a trade, though with no deal believed to be close, Stroman may begin the spring in camp. Other depth options set to begin the spring as starters include right-handers Will Warren (ranked by MLB Pipeline as the Yanks' No. 5 prospect), Clayton Beeter (No. 19), Yoendrys Gómez (No. 20) and Chase Hampton (No. 6).

“It’s nice to think we have six healthy guys right now,” Blake said, referring to Stroman. “It’s a matter of getting through Spring Training and see what that shakes out to be. It’s obviously a conversation we’ll broach with guys as we get closer.”