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Atlanta Braves Scouting Report on LHP Max Fried

By Benjamin Chase

May 14, 2016; Kansas City, MO, USA; A general view of a Atlanta Braves cap and glove on the field prior to a game against the Kansas City Royals at Kauffman Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Peter G. Aiken-USA TODAY Sports
May 14, 2016; Kansas City, MO, USA; A general view of a Atlanta Braves cap and glove on the field prior to a game against the Kansas City Royals at Kauffman Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Peter G. Aiken-USA TODAY Sports /
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May 14, 2016; Kansas City, MO, USA; A general view of a Atlanta Braves cap and glove on the field prior to a game against the Kansas City Royals at Kauffman Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Peter G. Aiken-USA TODAY Sports
May 14, 2016; Kansas City, MO, USA; A general view of a Atlanta Braves cap and glove on the field prior to a game against the Kansas City Royals at Kauffman Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Peter G. Aiken-USA TODAY Sports /

Atlanta Braves lefty Max Fried pitched a full season in return from Tommy John surgery in 2016. Is he set to rocket up the system in 2017?

Player Profile

The Atlanta Braves focused on getting Fried as part of their trade of Justin Upton after the 2014 deal, knowing they would have to be patient and wait until 2016 to see him.

Fried was drafted 7th overall by the San Diego Padres in 2012 out of high school in California. He was a high school friend and competitor with Lucas Giolito, and many felt it was a legit question on who was the better pitcher in high school.

The Padres started Fried with their Arizona Rookie League team. He made ten appearances, throwing 17 2/3 innings, allowing 3.57 ERA, 1.13 WHIP, and a 6/17 BB/K ratio. After the year, he received prospect ranking notice, rated #46 by Baseball America, #53 by MLB.com, and #61 by Baseball Prospectus.

Fried spent the entire 2013 season in the full-season low-A Midwest League with Fort Wayne. He made 23 starts, throwing 118 2/3 innings, posting a 3.49 ERA, 1.37 WHIP, and a 56/100 BB/K ratio.

After that season, he was rated as the #53 prospect by Baseball America, #43 by MLB.com, and #55 by Baseball Prospectus.

The Padres held Fried back in their extended spring in 2014, hoping his elbow could be healthy, but after 5 combined appearances between the Arizona Rookie League and Midwest League, he succumbed to Tommy John. In those 5 starts, he threw 10 2/3 innings, with a 5.06 ERA, 1.88 WHIP, and a 5/10 BB/K ratio.

After the 2014 season, the Braves traded Justin Upton to the Padres along with Aaron Northcraft for Fried, Jace Peterson, Dustin Peterson, and Mallex Smith.

After sitting out the entire 2015 season to heal, Fried opened 2016 with low-A Rome in the South Atlantic League. The Braves wanted Fried to spend an entire season at a level along with getting work on his mechanics and approach to get him ready for future success in the organization.

Fried did struggle some opening the year as he made those mechanical changes, and on June 1st, he sat with a line of 10 starts, 48 1/3 innings, 5.21 ERA, 1.47 WHIP, and 28/40 BB/K ratio.

He then went on a tear until coming up with a midseason injury (while the Braves are tight-lipped in the minor leagues about injuries, there were some rumors that this was more about limiting Fried’s innings on the season by giving him a break). Fried threw 34 innings in that time with a 1.06 ERA, 1.03 WHIP, and a 11/44 BB/K ratio.

Coming back from that time away led to some rust over his next two starts, but Fried finished the season with 20 strikeouts over his last two regular season starts and then dominated in the postseason over two starts.

The final two regular season starts put with the two postseason starts add up to 25 1/3 innings, 2.49 ERA, 0.91 WHIP, and a crazy 7/44 BB/K ratio.

Overall on the regular season, he made 21 appearances, throwing 103 innings, with a 3.93 ERA, 1.30 WHIP, and a 47/112 BB/K ratio.

Next: Fried's scouting report

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