Winter Meetings are well underway, and the Braves are going to be mentioned in a slew of rumors as Alex Anthopoulos searches for the best ways to upgrade the roster, not only the shortstop position. Still, Atlanta already has one of the most talented clubs in baseball without any tweaking. The lineup is spectacular, the bullpen features elite arms, and the rotation is as solid as it’s been in a long time. Max Fried will also once again lead the Braves pitching staff after winning a bevy of awards this offseason, capped off with All-MLB honors.
Fried joins Dylan Cease, Aaron Nola, Max Scherzer, and Julio Urias as the starting pitchers on the second team. Sandy Alcantara, Alek Manoah, Shohei Ohtani, Framber Valdez, and Justin Verlander were awarded first-team honors.
Fried had the best season of his career in 2022. He won his third consecutive Gold Glove and finished second behind Alcantara in the NL Cy Young race. Fried joined an exclusive list of pitchers to win a Gold Glove three consecutive times — Harvey Haddix. Bobby Shantz, Bob Gibson, Phil Niekro, Greg Maddux, and Zack Greinke.
The Braves lefty finished 2022 with a career-best 2.48 ERA, 2.70 FIP, and 5.9 WAR. Over the last three seasons, Fried has elevated himself into the elite echelon of pitchers, and he just might be the best southpaw on the planet.
Congratulations, Max Fried!
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David J. Griffin/Icon Sportswire
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