Max Fried

Fried transferred to Harvard-Westlake for his senior season after his Montclair College Prep team eliminated its athletic program, and with teammate Lucas Giolito sidelined, Fried has carried the load as the Wolverines' ace and a key hitter. Lean, athletic and projectable at 6-foot-4, 180 pounds, Fried has a fluid delivery and advanced feel for three pitches that all have a chance to be plus or better. At his best, he adds and subtracts from a fastball that ranges from 88-95 mph, generally pitching with solid-average velocity, though he has the ability to reach back for more when he needs to. His best pitch is a tight downer curveball in the 74-78 range that rates conservatively as a plus pitch and flashes plus-plus. He can manipulate the shape and velocity of the curveball depending on the situation, throwing it for a strike or a chase pitch. His low-80s changeup is already at least average and projects as another plus pitch. Fried looked like a good bet to be drafted in the top five to 10 picks for most of the spring, but his stock slipped a bit down the stretch as fatigue has evidently set in. In his most recent starts, Fried showed a 90-92 mph fastball and 79 curveball in the first, but dropped into the 86-88 range with a 69 mph curve by the third inning. A UCLA signee, Fried is cerebral and determined; his late-season dip notwithstanding, he projects as a potential No. 2 starter in the big leagues with a chance to be a No. 1.