Max Fried and Lucas Giolito have gone through their careers as best friends, even though Giolito almost disfigured Fried’s face in their earliest days as teammates.
Fried had transferred to Harvard-Westlake High School in Los Angeles for his senior year. He and Giolito faced off in an intrasquad game. Giolito, lacking the command that’s made him an All-Star starter in the majors, threw an erratic 95-mph fastball that broke Fried’s nose.
“Super scary moment,” Giolito told The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. “But he ended up being OK. He did look like a raccoon for like a couple of weeks. But like, that was the worst. He just transferred over to my high school and it’s like, ‘All right, welcome to the team, buddy. I just hit you in the face.’ That’s one story that I’ll definitely never forget about our friendship.”
Fried’s perspective: “He was pitching, and in high school, he was always known for being a little wild at times. I got up there, and he threw two balls in the other batter’s box. It was 2-0, and I was getting ready for a fastball. He let it go, I started seeing it come towards my face, I turned and it clipped the side of my helmet, then hit me square across the nose.
“I remember going down, holding my nose and not knowing anything. As soon as they wanted to check it out, I let go and it went phew. Blood everywhere. I immediately got off the field, got X-rays, and I was walking around with two black eyes for weeks on end. But it was on like a Tuesday or something, and I was able to play that weekend and hitting in the game with one of those little-league masks on.”
The incident didn’t affect their budding friendship. The two already knew each other, thanks to the scouting circuit, and when Fried’s previous school canceled its extracurricular activities that August, his relationship with Giolito was a factor in him heading to Harvard-Westlake.
Fried and Giolito, both 29, since have become upper-echelon major leaguers; so has their other high-school teammate, Jack Flaherty, who was two years behind them. The trio have remained tight as they’ve progressed through their careers. “We’re very close,” Giolito said. “We’re always talking.”
Fried, of course, has headlined the Braves’ rotation during these dominant days. He’s been an All-Star, Cy Young runner-up, and the starter in the World Series-clinching Game 6 of the 2021 World Series. He’s among the more decorated lefties in franchise history.
Giolito was traded from Washington to the White Sox in the earliest days of his career. He struggled before becoming an All-Star in 2019 and emerging as a key starter on postseason teams. He also pitched a no-hitter in 2020. But with the White Sox scuffling and Giolito’s contract expiring, he was traded to the Angels last week, returning to Southern California for a postseason push alongside Shohei Ohtani and Mike Trout.
Flaherty, 27, has battled injuries recently, but he’s enjoyed success. He was particularly exceptional in 2019, posting a 2.75 ERA over 33 starts and helping the Cardinals to the National League Championship Series (to the dismay of the Braves, whom they defeated in the NL Division Series).
Like Giolito, Flaherty was an impending free agent on a non-contender, so the Cardinals traded him to the first-place Orioles just before Tuesday’s deadline.
“It’s funny, after I got traded, I had a pretty long phone call with Jack, explaining how it all went down so he could be prepared in case that happens,” Giolito said. “It definitely puts you into a whirlwind for a couple days. In my case, it was interesting because I got traded, then I had one day to pack up my life, then the next day I was pitching with a different uniform on for the first time in seven years. But after that, I’ve been settling in great. This is a fantastic team to be part of, the run we’re trying to make right now. The guys have been super welcoming. I’m excited to be here.”
There’s a chance that Fried, Giolito and Flaherty pitch in the same postseason for the third time (2020, 2021 the others).
“I know their (previous) teams weren’t on that particular path this year, but any time you get put into a clubhouse that’s fighting to play October baseball, it’s special,” Fried told The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. “I know Lucas is really excited about being over there. You get that newfound energy and drive of playing for the thing you grew up wanting. I talked with Jack for a little bit, sent him a message. I’m sure he’s busy traveling and trying to get acclimated. He’s an extremely competitive guy. To be on a team pushing for it, I couldn’t be happier for him.”
And yes, with his friends’ names swirling in trade rumors, Fried mentioned them to Braves president of baseball operations Alex Anthopoulos.
“I definitely talked to him about the possibility and trying to get them over here, but they’re really good players, their price tags – you saw what they went for,” Fried said. “Pretty high price tags. That’s a credit to them and the people, players that they are.”
Giolito’s second start with the Angels came Wednesday in Atlanta, but he was victimized by the Braves’ behemoth offense (nine runs in 3-2/3 innings). Flaherty’s Orioles debut is to-be-determined. Fried has been sidelined since May with a forearm strain, but he’s expected to return this weekend and face the Cubs in Chicago.
The Braves’ World Series aspirations largely hinge on Fried returning as their ace.
“Any time a guy gets hurt and misses time, as a fellow player, you hate to see it,” Giolito said. “But Max being such a good friend of mine, I wasn’t happy to see that news when it happened, the forearm and everything. But communicating with him throughout the process, he knew – everybody knew – it was just a minor thing he had to work through. And I know he’s feeling fantastic. His last rehab start went well, he got into the fifth inning. And he’ll be back to help lead this Braves rotation.”
The trio’s story has been shared over the years, but it still feels underappreciated. It’s an extremely rare situation: Three acclaimed starting pitchers from the same high school becoming high-level major leaguers. Giolito acknowledges that it feels “normal” for them; that their story’s gravity doesn’t always resonate except when they’re asked about it.
They talked about becoming major leaguers in high school, and this is just their aspirations realized.
“It’s really special to have a couple guys to watch on another team,” Fried said. “I know exactly when they’re pitching, I see their starts, I check their box scores, I try to watch highlights. Just keep up with them, see how they’re doing, check in. It’s really nice that I have guys who do the same for me. This game is very difficult. It’s hard. And it’s good to have people in your corner who are your friends and they’re part of your support system, but also are your peers and understand what you’re going through. It helps navigate a long, crazy season and can help those learning curves.
“If he is going through a hard time, he can come to me and I’ll give him my opinion. Or if I’m going through a hard time, I can go to them. We rely on each other to help each other to get through the long year.”
Giolito and Flaherty even came to Houston for Game 6 when Fried pitched six scoreless innings as the Braves won the 2021 World Series.
“Super, super cool,” Giolito said. “Very jealous, too. But that was such a fun night. It was amazing to be there and watch him pretty much secure that World Series win for the Braves. It was fantastic.”
Fried: “They were part of it, part of my crew with my family and everyone that came to watch. I’ve been very fortunate to have a couple friends who’ve supported me through the ups and downs. It all started when we were 17 years old. Those were the guys that helped inject that confidence in me. To have them there was a full-circle moment that was really special.”
