Opponents didn¡¯t have much success against Max Fried¡¯s curveball this past season. According to Baseball Savant, opponents went 21-for-121 (.174) with 50 strikeouts, the most strikeouts off any pitch thrown by the Braves¡¯ left-hander.
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While appearing on Wednesday night¡¯s Cy Young presentation show on MLB Network, Fried credited former Major Leaguer Reggie Smith with helping him develop that curve. Smith never pitched in the big leagues; he was a productive outfielder with the Red Sox, Cardinals, Dodgers and Giants during the 1960s, ¡®70s and early '80s. But starting at age 7, Fried attended the Reggie Smith Baseball Academy in Encino, Calif., and learned a lot from Smith.
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¡°[Smith] is an outfielder, but he [is] someone who [is] a big mentor to me,¡± Fried told MLB Network. ¡°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.?
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¡°He was an All-Star outfielder, but he has a wide range of knowledge of baseball -- pitching, understanding pitchers and how pitchers attack hitters. To be able to have that perspective growing up, trying to soak up all that knowledge, it really helped me out.¡±

When reached by phone, Smith confirmed that he taught Fried the curveball, but he taught it in a way in which Fried wouldn¡¯t hurt his arm. Smith remembered Fried as the type of kid who wanted to do well all the time.

¡°If he didn¡¯t do well, he was embarrassed by it,¡± Smith said. ¡°It¡¯s not like he would have a tantrum, but you could see [the disappointment] in his face.¡±

The way Smith sees it, if a pitcher throws the curveball properly, there is less stress on the arm than from throwing a fastball.

¡°I wanted him to maintain his arm in a natural throwing motion. That¡¯s what we worked on,¡± Smith said. ¡°Max was able to learn more than one type of curveball. But more important than that, other than teaching him the curveball, it was [teaching him] when to use it.¡±

Fried had a season to remember in 2022, going 14-7 with a 2.48 ERA en route to finishing second in the National League Cy Young Award voting behind Marlins right-hander Sandy Alcantara. Fried also finished second on the Braves behind Austin Riley in Wins Above Replacement (5.9, per Baseball Reference).

¡°I¡¯m very proud of Max,¡± Smith said. ¡°We stayed in contact during the season. If I see something or he has something he wants to bounce off me, [we talk]. He also checks on me to see how I¡¯m doing. That¡¯s how good a heart and passionate that he is. He checks on me to make sure I¡¯m doing OK and vice versa.¡±