The Yankees pitching staff joined exclusive company after Tuesday night’s win over the Mariners, thanks in large part to Max Fried.
The lefty ace mowed down Seattle over seven shutout innings, sending the Yanks to their third win already this season in which they did not allow a run. The 5-0 victory kept their runs allowed mark at just three through the first five games of the season, a feat only matched by one other team in baseball history.
According to Stathead’s Katie Sharp, since, 1900, only the 1943 Cardinals have allowed three or fewer runs in each of their first five games to begin the season. The Yankees are now just the second team since the turn of the 20th century to start a season with that kind of pitching dominance.
The Yanks allowed just one run in a season-opening sweep against the Giants, when Fried dominated on Opening Day and Cam Schlittler followed with a shutout performance of his own. Will Warren allowed just one run in his season debut, and Ryan Weathers was effective in his start on Monday night, though the Yankee bats could not support him in a 2-1 walk-off loss. That is the only game this season that the Bombers have allowed multiple runs.
The Yankee bullpen, considered by many to be the team’s weak link in 2026, has still allowed just one run, the walk-off single by Cal Raleigh surrendered by Paul Blackburn on Monday night. In Tuesday’s win, Tim Hill and Brent Headrick slammed the door in relief of Fried.
Sharp also noted that the Yankees are the only team in the modern era (since 1900) to allow fewer than five runs and strike out 45 batters or more through the first five games of the season. Aaron Boone could not have asked for more from his pitching staff to begin the year, and that staff is still waiting on the return of Gerrit Cole, Clarke Schmidt, and Carlos Rodon, though the latter experienced hamstring tightness on Tuesday and could take longer to return to game action.
