Max Fried had arguably his best start of the season last night when he went 8 innings against the Pittsburgh Pirates allowing just one run on 3 hits.
The strong outing had 92.9 The Game Morning Show Host John Fricke wondering if Fried is in the NL Cy Young Award discussion and if a strong final month to the season actually could see him win it.
Max Fried is having a strong season, certainly should be in the discussion, but is he really being considered as a the top contender for the NL Cy Young Award?
The Front Runner: Marlins starter Sandy Alcantara
Alcantara has been among the best pitchers in baseball the entire season and we've got recent precedent (Jacob deGrom) that wins isn't the most significant stat for Cy Young Voters. Sandy Alcantara has a respectable 11-6 record, but that doesn't tell the whole story. He's thrown 20 more innings more than any other NL starter and boasts a 2.19 ERA, 157 strikeouts, and a ridiculous 6.3 WAR.
The Dodgers Trio: Tony Gonsolin, Julio Urias, and Tyler Anderson
Tony Gonsolin leads the NL in wins with 16 and ERA with a 2.10, but he's only got 11 quality starts and just 116 strikeouts on the season.
Julio Urias has the most losses of anyone on this list, even more than Alcantara, but he's also got 13 wins, and a 2.36 ERA a year after leading the NL in wins when he had 20 victories in 2021.
Tyler Anderson is the least-know name from the Dodgers trio, but his season hasn't been any less impressive. Anderson has a 273 ERA and 13 wins on the season after starting the year as a bullpen arm.
So why not Max Fried:
Max Fried has some comparable numbers to the guys above, he's got the 2nd highest WAR (5.0), and a 2.52 ERA to go along with 12 wins and the most quality starts in the entire National League (19).