Gerrit Cole has long been the unquestioned ace of the Yankees, and Aaron Boone himself gave him this title when Cole first arrived at the team in 2020. “He walked in here with a lot of expectations and a lot of weight on him to be the ace of our staff, and he’s been every bit of that,” Aaron Boone said on 22 October 2024 at a press briefing at Yankee Stadium. Cole cemented his status again on October 25, 2024, when the team tapped him to start Game 1 of the World Series against the Dodgers. However, this season has brought a decline in the taste of success for the former World Series winner, leaving the door open for a new star to step into the spotlight.

Cole was ruled out for the season after opting for Tommy John surgery in spring training. But, in the latest update on that return, the star was scheduled to throw 45 pitches from 75 feet out. It was definitely a stepping stone in his return. The star himself acknowledged that he is progressing every day with a 2-word reaction: “Feels great.” Yet, without such an elite arm available to anchor the staff, the Yankees turned to other stars to carry the load.

That spotlight has been captured by Max Fried, the $218 million newcomer. The former Braves star has not only filled the gap but also reshaped the hierarchy inside the team. This week, Aaron Boone officially declared Fried the ace of the staff. “He’s an ace,” Boone said. “He pitches like that. He’s had a phenomenal year to this point. On top of that, just the kind of person and teammate he is – he’s everything you’d want in bringing somebody in to be a featured guy in your rotation”, he added. In this statement, a dramatic but undeniable shift can be identified: Cole was the ace; however, with him down, Max Fried has claimed the title.

The data backs up Boone’s claim. In his first season in pinstripes, the veteran lefty has set career highs in wins (18), innings pitched (188 1/3), and strikeouts (182). His latest achievement, a 13-strikeout, seven-inning scoreless production against the Orioles on Thursday, functioned as a reminder that he is built for October pressure. Team members have reunited around his consistency and balance. “We know how important pitching is in October,” Paul Goldschmidt said after the game. “He’s got so many pitches. He’s a smart pitcher out there. He mixes it up, doesn’t fall into patterns, and just executes.”

Far from stats, Boone’s words showed how Fried has redefined the franchise dynamic. The Yankees manager, who praised Cole once as the club’s unquestioned leader, now says the same for Fried: “I love watching him pitch. He’s such a good athlete … it’s a lot of fun when he’s in a rhythm like that.” That evolution underlines just how much has changed in one year. Cole’s injury may have transferred the narrative, but Fried’s dominance has written a new one: the $218 million rookie is now the star player of the Yankees.

But beyond simply setting foot in Cole’s role, Fried’s attitude has announced just why Boone and the Yankees franchise view him as their new ace.

Max Fried’s reaction to reaching new heights

Fried could have made headlines by hunting milestones, but he has chosen a different path. Despite becoming the majors’ first 18-game winner this season and matching his career high with 13 strikeouts against Baltimore, the left-hander revealed he did not even realize what he had accomplished. “I had no idea how many strikeouts I had,” Fried said after the game against the Orioles. “I was just out there pitching,” he added. He also did not know the outing had pushed him to new season highs with 18 wins, 188.1 innings, and 182 strikeouts. “It’s a team game,” he added. “I don’t even really know my stats.”

That attitude describes Max Fried’s rise in New York, unaffected by records, driven only by franchise success. He does not know and does not care how good his stats are, because his concentration is on wins in the standings. A World Series champion with Atlanta in 2021, Fried made it clear that his goals have not changed.

“To me right now, if I go out there and give up three but we score five or six and win the game, I’m just as happy as throwing seven scoreless,” he said. “At this time of the year, it’s about making sure we have a ‘W’ by our win column.” That is the mindset of a present-day pitching great and exactly why Boone now calls him the Yankees’ star pitcher.

Gerrit Cole may still stand for the Yankees’ past definition of a star, but Max Fried is molding their present as well as his upcoming future. With dominant production, a team-first mentality, and Boone’s unfailing support, Fried has taken over the rotation’s control. October will disclose if he can fully carry out the role.