At first glance, it might be fair to say that Max Fried’s ascent into a formidable starting pitcher for the Atlanta Braves last season was surprising.
But it really isn’t.
While the sample size was small, consider his career up to that point: 2-3 with a 2.96 ERA in nine starts.
Sure, the expectation was that he would eventually be in the mix for the rotation, but now the expectation has skyrocketed into becoming the No. 2 in the 1-2 punch with Mike Soroka.
After going 17-6 with a 4.