Max

Fried

Those two are joined by Steven Kwan in the outfield. Other AL winners include pitcher Max Fried, catcher Dillon Dingler, first baseman Ty France, second baseman Marcus Semien, third baseman Maikel Garcia, shortstop Bobby Witt Jr. and utilityman Mauricio Dubón. Semien getting the nod over Andrés Giménez seems like the biggest upset, though Giménez, who won the previous three years, did miss a bunch of time. Dingler over Alejandro Kirk also rates as a modest surprise.

Woof. It’s tied for the shortest start that Fried has made on the season, as he had one three inning start in mid-July that he was pulled from due to a blister issue. The 31-year-old southpaw served up a two-run homer to Ernie Clement in the second inning to get the scoring started. They piled on with three more in the third and their first two hitters reached to start the fourth inning before Fried mercifully handed the ball over to the bullpen. He got just five swings and misses in 51 pitches on the afternoon, posting an underwhelming CSW of 24 percent. Unless the Yankees can rally, it looks like it’ll be a disappointing end to what was otherwise a terrific season for the veteran left-hander.

Gil went 4-1 with a 3.32 ERA in 11 starts down the stretch after returning from a lat injury. The 27-year-old faced the Blue Jays one time in early September and emerged victorious, allowing just one run on three hits and four walks over his six frames. He’ll start opposite Blue Jays veteran Kevin Gausman. It’ll be Max Fried taking the ball for Game 2 of the series.

Fried locked horns with Red Sox ace Garrett Crochet in a throwback pitcher’s duel and authored an impressive performance in his Pinstripes postseason debut, generating 19 swinging strikes and allowing only one extra-base hit over six innings. The 31-year-old southpaw didn’t face much resistance from Boston’s lineup until a pair of fourth-inning hits put a pair of runners in scoring position before he punched out Jarren Duran to eliminate the threat. He wriggled out of another jam in the ensuing frame to keep the Red Sox off the scoreboard. Things began to unravel a bit in the sixth when Carlos Narváez worked a nine-pitch walk against him before a double-play ball off the bat of Nate Eaton got him out of the tight spot. He was forced to settle for a no-decision after Luke Weaver allowed a pair of seventh inning runs following his departure.

Yankees manager Aaron Boone made it official that Fried will square off against Red Sox ace Garrett Crochet on Tuesday night at Yankee Stadium to kick off a highly-anticipated three-game series between the longtime rivals. The 31-year-old wrapped up his first season in Pinstripes with an American League-leading 19 wins and a 2.86 ERA across 195 1/3 innings over 32 starts.

Fried put the finishing touches on what may have been the best regular season of his career. The White Sox were clueless against his deep repertoire and he forced a swing-and-miss with five different pitches. His command was excellent too, dotting everything on the edges and forcing hitters to make uncomfortable decisions. He’ll close his regular season with 19 wins to lead the league and a 2.86 ERA.

Fried scattered just three hits on the night — all of them singles — while issuing one base on balls. The only scoring threat against him came in the second inning as Jeremiah Jackson drew a one-out walk and Coby Mayo followed with a single. Fried then rallied to retire the next two hitters to diffuse the situation. He got a whopping 28 swings and misses on 87 pitches on the night — eight on his changeup — while posting an other-worldly CSW of 48 percent. Now 18-5 on the season, he’ll carry a stellar 2.92 ERA, 1.11 WHIP and a 182/49 K/BB ratio (188 1/3 innings) into his final regular season tune-up against the White Sox on Wednesday.

Fried worked around two runners in each of the first two innings and kept Boston off the board through four before Alex Bregman took him deep for a solo homer in the fifth. Three straight hits with out one would put a second run on the board for the Red Sox and knock Fried from the game at 105 pitches with six strikeouts. The 31-year-old left-hander will take an excellent 3.03 ERA, 1.13 WHIP, and a 169/48 K/BB ratio across 181 1/3 innings into a start against the Orioles in Baltimore on Thursday.

Fried gave up six hits, walked one and struck out four. The 31-year-old left-hander had allowed just two runs in 20 innings over his last three starts entering play Sunday. Fried has a 3.02 ERA and 163/46 in 176 innings this year. He’s lined up to face the Red Sox on the road next weekend.

Fried outstanding on Tuesday, tossing five shutout frames in Houston before two hits and a groundout brought a run in to score for the Astros in the sixth inning. He gave the Yankees one more scoreless inning, ending his day after seven with five strikeouts. The 31-year-old left-hander holds a 2.98 ERA, 1.11 WHIP, and a 159/45 K/BB ratio across 169 innings. He’ll take on the Blue Jays in New York on Sunday.