AL DIVISION SERIES: YANKEES VS RAYS

October 6, 2026

Max Fried

Yankee Stadium

New York Yankees

Workout Day Press Conference

Q. Hey, Max. Just interested to know how you look at this opportunity, obviously, with your backs against the wall, just starting this huge game for the team? Just how do you approach this? How do you look at it?

MAX FRIED: For me it's a must-win game, obviously. If we don't win, we go home, and this is where you leave everything out on the field.

There's nothing else to save anything for. So for me I understand that the leash is probably going to be pretty small, and we have to do whatever we can to win.

So, yeah, for me it's just leave everything out there and we have to win tomorrow's game.

Q. Max, along those lines, how do you assess the season for yourself when you look back on that first start in the post season against Boston?

MAX FRIED: The season's not finished for me. I mean, this is where we want to go. This is what we've been working for, and it's a good start as far as my last start, but I'm a little bit more focused on the team's success and we're down 0-2 right now. So whatever we have to do to be able to win tomorrow's game, that's all my focus.

Q. Were you yesterday watching that Tampa Bay game? How difficult is that to watch that play out, and what makes them such a tough opponent?

MAX FRIED: I mean, it's obviously frustrating. You don't want to lose a game like that, and felt like obviously mistakes hurt us.

It's unfortunate, especially at this time of year. We know that playing clean baseball is the recipe of winning baseball games.

But they put the ball in play. They are fast. So they make you make decisions quick. They do the little things and move guys over. They bunt. They make you play a clean game, and if you don't do that, they can capitalize.

Q. Max, there's a lot of talk, especially after losses like last night, of the need to flush the game quickly. How hard is it to get a game like that out of your mind and not have it dwell?

MAX FRIED: I think it's a little of both. You have to flush it and not let it affect you, but at the same time use it as motivation to kind of stop it right there and prove that that doesn't define you, or that isn't the character and it was just kind of like a freak game.

It's important to have a little bit of pride and to be able to say that's not us and we're going to prove it.

Q. Max, thanks for doing this. Is it accurate that you've got a baby coming any day now?

MAX FRIED: I mean, yeah. But I'd not like to get too into the personal stuff. But yeah, that's true.

Q. I guess has that complicated this any for you?

MAX FRIED: No. I've got a really supportive family that understands that this is my job, and it's not going to affect what happens tomorrow.

Q. Max, in a do-or-die game you just said it perfectly. You said that you expect to be on a short leash. How does that impact your approach as a pitcher, knowing that you've gotta avoid all types of danger?

MAX FRIED: You just gotta go after it. There is no feeling the game out. You just have to be -- you gotta be on the attack and you know that they're going to be -- the way that they've been playing this year is they're on the attack as well.

So you just kind of have to meet it, and yeah, you gotta leave it all out on the field. There's no feeling it out and seeing how the game goes and getting into the swing of it.

Q. And you're known as a very cerebral pitcher. What are the specifics about the Rays that make them such a distinct challenge, whether it's speeding the game up, whether it's fouling pitches off, whether it's sort of almost playing with a -- where they put the pressure on you guys?

MAX FRIED: I mean, I think you kind of alluded to it, that they're going to put the ball in play. They're not going to strike out. They're going to play good defense. They do all the little things, and they also -- they can also have the big inning. They've got some power.

So they can do a little of everything, and you can tell that they want to just win the baseball game. They don't care how it's done, and they're going to try to scratch and claw to be able to do it. So you just have to be able to match them and be ready for it.

Q. Max, Aaron Boone has said last night and today how resilient this team has been all year. From your perspective, how has the team shown that and what gives you confidence in that resilience right now?

MAX FRIED: I mean, it's been one thing after another. Just from the beginning of the year, obviously starting with Garrett hurt and not being at full strength and then just battling through injuries and never making an excuse about it.

We still feel like that whoever is going to be on that field and on the 26-man roster is good enough to be able to win that day, and we have that same mentality. And I know that everyone tomorrow is going to have that same feeling, that we're still a really great team and we expect to win.

Q. Max, just to confirm and not to get too in the weeds of the personal stuff, but you plan to start tomorrow regardless of what happens personally for you?

MAX FRIED: Yeah. Definitely.