The Pitcher Just Hits Home Runs Well [EN]: Chapter 269

269. A Legend of a Bygone Era? (5)

“Huh? What’s up? Why Max?”

Usually, in spring training, away games are for players who need more work, and home games are for players with established reputations. Of course, things change as the games progress and evaluations are made, but spring training is only a third of the way through. Even in the Yankees’ locker room, some players are still sharing lockers. And it’s not much different for other teams.

However, there was a fairly well-known player among the Atlanta Braves visiting George M. Steinbrenner Field today.

“Max? Who’s that?”

“What? Swan, you don’t know Max?”

“I’m asking who he is!”

Max Fried.

Drafted 7th overall in the first round of the 2012 draft.

He was a pitcher who could be ranked in the top ten in the league over the past decade.

However, for Choi Su-won, who only knew the major leagues after 2034, not the current major leagues, he was a somewhat unfamiliar face. In the first place, the only players who transcend time and are remembered by everyone must be evaluated as at least ‘dominant players of an era.’ Just as few people remember the name Gio Gonzalez, who was ranked in the top ten in the major leagues in the 2010s, in 2027 right now.

Donald Harrison and Josh Clinton, who had become quite close to Su-won since their time in the locker room that day, continued to explain Max Fried.

“A famous critic once said that he was the strongest Cy Young [Award given to the best pitcher in each league] contender, assuming he was healthy. But that was wrong.”

“That’s right. Max Fried was the strongest Cy Young contender even when he wasn’t healthy.”

He debuted in the big leagues in 2017, a very late start for a first-round pitcher, in his sixth year. This was thanks to undergoing Tommy John surgery [Ulnar collateral ligament reconstruction] in 2014 and dedicating himself to rehabilitation until 2015.

Having debuted in the big leagues in 2017, he played a total of 11 seasons until the 2027 season. He only pitched more than 150 innings in six of those seasons, half of them. Moreover, his injuries were very diverse. Fingers, hamstrings, back, waist, ankle.

“Wait a minute. If it’s that bad, wasn’t he just born weak? How can he be a baseball player, especially a starting pitcher? And he finished third in the Cy Young Award last year with that body?”

Josh Clinton answered Su-won’s question.

“It’s not just that. He’s been a Cy Young finalist three times in the last ten years and finished in the top five five times. Especially last year, if he hadn’t had a toe injury in the middle, the Cy Young Award would have definitely been Max’s.”

“He had a toe injury? How?”

It was an unusual injury for a baseball player.

Donald answered Su-won’s curiosity.

“Oh, he bumped his toe on the table leg and was diagnosed with four weeks of recovery.”

“······.”

Born in 1994, he is 34 years old this year.

Max Fried was truly like a walking 종합병원 [Korean term for a general hospital, implying someone is always sick or injured].

And that was not much different in 2028. Originally, he should have warmed up at yesterday’s home game. But perhaps because the pillowcase he always carried around was worn and torn, he put on a new pillowcase? He ended up with a stiff neck.

Under the dedicated care of the trainers, he barely recovered his condition and decided to warm up at the away game against the Yankees, which was not too far away, instead of resting for another day.

The Yankees’ locker room was crowded.

Compared to the beginning of spring training, quite a few players had left, but today there were no away games, so all the players gathered at home.

“Why did Max Fried have to come today······.”

“Bad luck. Bad luck.”

“Hey, the manager will take everything into account anyway. And honestly, Max Fried is worth trying to attack.”

“Max Fried is worth trying to attack? Are you crazy?”

“No, of course, it’s difficult. But his style is a bit different from other Cy Young contenders. If you look there, only Max Fried is the pitcher. Austin Riley and Ignacio Alvarez didn’t come with him.”

They were also talking about Max Fried, who would be pitching for the Atlanta Braves today. In particular, players who joined the camp with minor league contracts or split contracts could be packing their bags depending on the outcome of each at-bat, so they couldn’t help but be wary of a sudden match against an ace-level pitcher.

“Swan, you’ve been assigned a pretty tough pitcher from the first at-bat of this season?”

“Yeah, I know. Do you have any tips?”

“Tips······. His fastball isn’t that great, but if you’re worried about his curve and changeup, that not-so-great fastball feels pretty crazy. It’s not hard to get the bat on the ball, but it’s really hard to get a good hit. So, try to hit it as hard as you can? Even if it’s a ground ball, you can break through the infield line? Oh, but if a pitcher-covering ball comes out, he catches it really well, so be careful of that too. Honestly, I think he’s a better fielder than Riley, let alone Alvarez.”

Su-won nodded at Anthony Volpe’s story, who was using the locker right next to him.

According to Volpe, Max Fried was a typical ground ball pitcher. Moreover, he was a somewhat troublesome type of pitcher with top-notch defense.

“Anthony, the way you’re talking, he must be a very good fielder?”

“Didn’t you know? Max Fried has won five Gold Gloves [Award for best defensive player] since 2020. If he pitches more than 150 innings, he’s guaranteed a Gold Glove that year.”

At that moment, Su-won revised his evaluation of Max Fried from a slightly troublesome pitcher with top-notch defense to a considerably troublesome pitcher with the best defense in the league.

***

“Brothers!! Bong-ha!!”

BJ Bong-min.

He is a biased broadcasting BJ [Broadcast Jockey, internet streamer] for the Marlins, and he had a record of filming Su-won when he was still a high school student, only a sophomore.

At the time, it didn’t become such a hot topic, but when Su-won really joined the Marlins and started showing performances that literally smashed the league, he started to rise. Currently, he is a top-class biased broadcaster with a whopping 198,000 subscribers on YouTube.

─again2027: Did our Bong-min give up on the Marlins? Still in America?

─거포이주혁 [Korean: Slugger Lee Joo-hyuk]: Lee Joo-hyuk is fully charged for 4 at-bats, 4 hits, and 4 home runs today

─오늘부턴양키스팬 [Korean: Yankees fan from today]: Can’t you tell by Bong-min’s clothes? He’s already switched to the Yankees.

“Ah, brothers. Who said I switched teams? I’m just, uh? Since other people are broadcasting the Marlins’ exhibition games anyway, I’m just trying to responsibly broadcast our Su-won, a true broadcaster’s heart. Something like that.”

─again2027: Bong-min, you hit the jackpot once with the Choi Su-won coin, and you can’t let go.

─뉴욕마린스 [Korean: New York Marlins]: Leave him alone. Bong-min has to make a living too.

─최강수원 [Korean: Strongest Su-won]: Holding my breath, hoping for a home run in every at-bat for Choi Su-won.

“Anyway, today is the historic day when our Su-won is finally playing in the game as a hitter. So, I’ve thoroughly researched the Atlanta Braves pitchers who are Su-won’s opponents today. But brothers, do you know what? Today’s Su-won’s opponent is Max Fried?”

─마린스최수원 [Korean: Marlins Choi Su-won]: Max Fried? Who’s that? Is he famous?

─0결가즈아 [Korean slang]: Yeah, I don’t care.

─Mr.양키스 [Korean: Mr. Yankees]: Ignorant guys. Max Fried was the pitcher who finished third in the Cy Young Award last year. But why is he already playing an away game?

“Yes, he was the third-place winner of the Cy Young Award last year. He’s a real big shot as the pitcher you meet in your first at-bat after advancing to the big leagues. That’s why I’m so excited right now. Honestly, it’s true that our Su-won smashed the KBO [Korean Baseball Organization]. There were a lot of talks about whether that would work against major league top-tier pitchers. But who would have known that he would suddenly show it in the first game like this? Isn’t that right?”

─최강수원 [Korean: Strongest Su-won]: Predicting 5 at-bats, 5 hits, and 5 home runs.

─최수원영결 [Korean: Choi Su-won retired number]: Say something that makes sense. What 5 at-bats in an exhibition game.

Top of the 1st inning.

Garrett Cole came to the mound.

His unique, clumsy form.

And the power of the fastball from that form, overwhelming the opposing batters, drew swings from the Atlanta batters.

-Whoosh!!

“Strike!! Out!!”

Two strikeouts and one infield ground ball against three batters.

“Wow, he’s really crazy. I don’t know if this sense of reality will be fully conveyed in the video. I’ve been to a lot of baseball games. But it feels completely different. If you look, the speed is 94 miles, so it’s about 151.4 km/h? But it feels different from 151 in the KBO. It feels like it’s going to explode the mitt?”

─again2027: Bong-min’s pro-American form is crazy.

─최강수원 [Korean: Strongest Su-won]: Don’t get ahead of yourself. 150 is all the same 150.

─뉴욕마린스 [Korean: New York Marlins]: Bong-min says that American pitchers get extra artistic points for 150.

“No, really? Wow, you guys have to come here and see it in person. Ah!! Max Fried is coming out. Max Fried.”

─홈런왕최수원 [Korean: Home Run King Choi Su-won]: What? That’s the third-place winner of the Cy Young Award? He looks so weak?

Like the viewers said, Max Fried was very small. Was it because Garrett Cole, who had been on the mound until just now, was so burly?

No. He was actually a bit weak.

193cm and 86kg.

Originally, if the length doubles, the surface area should increase by 4 times and the volume by 8 times. That’s why you need more weight for a taller height.

Considering that Su-won’s height was 189.7 and his weight was 82kg when he first regressed, you can guess how slim 86kg is at 193cm.

He threw three balls lightly on the mound.

-Bang!!!

Was it because he threw them so lightly?

The difference from the ball that Garrett Cole threw just now was as great as the overwhelming physique.

“90.3 miles?”

145.4km/h

BJ Bong-min and his viewers tilted their heads at the number on the scoreboard. He was the third-place winner of the Cy Young Award last year, but both his appearance and speed seemed a bit strange.

Could his body be in bad condition?

Anthony Volpe came to the plate.

Number 11.

He was currently the most famous man in the Yankees. That’s because Anthony Volpe is the successor to the No. 2 Derek Jeter. Even Korean fans who didn’t know much about the major leagues were familiar with his name because he was so often introduced in special articles related to Choi Su-won’s move to the Yankees.

First ball.

-Whoosh!!!

“Strike!!”

A curve that suddenly dropped drew Anthony Volpe’s bat.

And the second.

-Clang!!!

A 90.7-mile fastball led to a large foul.

Ball count 0-2.

Third.

Another curve. Anthony Volpe calmly filtered the ball out.

The ball count is now 1-2.

Max Fried, who lightly gripped the ball, threw the fourth ball.