The Bronx has caught a hint of Fernando-mania, albeit in a different form. Max Fried may not have caused the same uproar for the New York Yankees as Fernando Valenzuela did for the Los Angeles Dodgers in 1981, yet his pitching feats are equally impressive.

Fried is the first starting pitcher since Valenzuela to match this level of achievement. In his first seven starts with the Yankees, he has secured six victories with only five earned runs conceded.

According to OptaStats, the only other pitcher to achieve this in their first seven games with a new team was Valenzuela in 1981. On Friday evening, Fried delivered an outstanding performance against the Rays, pitching seven innings with just one hit allowed and striking out six.

His season stats are remarkable: a 6-0 record, an impressive 1.01 ERA, 39 strikeouts over 44.2 innings, and a WHIP of 0.94. With an eight-year, $215 million contract signed in the offseason, Fried has proven to be invaluable, especially given the injuries to pitchers like Gerrit Cole and Luis Gil.

The Yankees are counting on Fried to maintain his performance every fifth game, easing the burden on both the bullpen and the manager. As of now, there’s no indication that the excitement surrounding Max will diminish any time soon.