Braves' Max Fried Receives Surprising Title From MLB.com

MLB.com's Mark Bowman called left-handed starter Max Fried the Atlanta Braves player with the most to prove down the stretch.

Atlanta Braves pitcher Max Fried / Eric Hartline-Imagn Images

No matter what happens the rest of his career, Max Fried should be remembered as the pitcher who started Game 6.

Game 6 in Houston, which was the victory that knocked out the Astros and gave the Atlanta Braves their first World Series title in 26 years.

Fried pitched 6 shutout innings, giving up just 4 hits in that outing. The Braves cruised to a 7-0 victory.

Significantly helping the Braves end Atlanta's championship drought, there was seemingly nothing remaining for the left-hander to prove. But that's apparently not the case for everyone.

In fact, according to MLB.com's Mark Bowman, Fried not only has more to prove, but the most to prove on the Braves current roster. On September 4, Bowman picked Fried as Atlanta's player "with the most to prove" down the stretch of the 2024 season.

"Fried has posted a 4.96 ERA in the six starts he has made since returning from the injured list. A strong finish would strengthen the Braves’ postseason bid and aid the veteran hurler before he hits the free-agent market," Bowman wrote. "Fried made some big starts for the Braves down the stretch of the 2021 season, which concluded with Atlanta winning the World Series.

"Another similar finish would provide a fitting conclusion to what might be his final season with the Braves."

It would undoubtably be fitting. But with new stars such as Matt Olson, Michael Harris II, Reynaldo López, Raisel Iglesias, Orlando Arcia and Sean Murphy not on Atlanta's last championship team, they seem to be more appropriate choices for "the most to prove" title.

As the saying goes, though, money talks. Those six players are already under contract for the 2025 season. Fried is not. So while Fried is pitching to add to his Braves legacy, as Bowman suggested, he's also pitching for that next deal.

Behind his recent inconsistencies, Fried is 8-8 with a 3.52 ERA, and 1.209 WHIP across 140.2 innings in 24 starts this season.