5 teams who have a better 1-2 pitching duo than Yankees' Max Fried & Gerrit Cole
The New York Yankees signed former Atlanta Braves star Max Fried to an eight-year, $218 million deal. On Wednesday, the team will hold an introductory press conference to welcome him in the team's iconic pinstripes. Even though the team missed out on re-signing Juan Soto, it did not wait long to make a splash by bringing in Fried.
Now, the New York Yankees will enter the 2025 campaign with a potent 1-2 punch of Gerrit Cole and Max Fried. Although there will be some questions surrounding the tandem's health and ability to perform all season long, they could emerge as one of the top duos in MLB. However, there are a few teams who can boast a stronger lead tandem.
Here's a look at 5 teams with stronger starting pitching duos that the Yankees' Gerrit Cole and Max Fried
#5 - Seattle Mariners (Logan Gilbert and George Kirby)
Even though the future of Luis Castillo with the Seattle Mariners remains unclear, the team has one of the best 1-2 punches in baseball in Logan Gilbert and George Kirby. While the Yankees pair might have a longer track record of success, the Mariners' Gilbert and Kirby will only continue to keep getting stronger.
#4 - San Diego Padres (Dylan Cease and Michael King)
This may not be the news that New York Yankees fans want to hear but Michael King has blossomed into a star on the mound. The 29-year-old posted a dazzling 2.95 ERA in 2024, better than both Gerrit Cole (3.41 ERA) and Max Fried (3.25 ERA).
Dylan Cease was dominant yet again in 2024, finishing fourth in National League Cy Young Award voting. The Padres ace racked up 224 strikeouts in his first full season with the team. While Cole and Fried are as elite as they come, the Padres duo of Cease and King might have the higher ceiling heading into 2025.
#3 - Atlanta Braves (Chris Sale and Spencer Strider)
There is a chance that Chris Sale and Spencer Strider are the best pitching duo in baseball, however, this only applies when they are healthy. Chris Sale won the first Cy Young Award of his career this past season, however, injuries have plagued him in recent years.
When it comes to Spencer Strider, he missed the majority of 2024 after having to undergo season-ending elbow surgery. All this being said, the combination of Sale and Strider sit above the Yankees pairing, specifically thanks to their abilities to rack up massive strikeout numbers and limit opponent scoring.
#2 - Los Angeles Dodgers (Blake Snell and Tyler Glasnow)
There are a number of ways that the Los Angeles Dodgers could go in this debate thanks to stars such as Shohei Ohtani and Yoshinobu Yamamoto being elite, however, for this list, it falls to Blake Snell and Tyler Glasnow.
Snell has continued to prove why he is one of the best pitchers in baseball, winning two Cy Young Awards in his career and even bouncing back from a rough beginning of 2024. Like several names on this list, Glasnow's success is tied to his health, however, when he is on the mound, he can be nearly untouchable.
#1 - Philadelphia Phillies (Zack Wheeler and Aaron Nola)
The Philadelphia Phillies are one of the best teams in the Majors for a number of reasons. However, their starting pitching duo of Zack Wheeler and Aaron Nola might be No. 1. While there are some consistency questions about Nola, Zack Wheeler has been so dominant and reliable that he is impossible to deny.
He finished second in NL Cy Young voting behind Chris Sale, however, that does not take anything away from his abilities on the mound. The Yankees pair of Gerrit Cole and Max Fried have all makings of one of the best duos in baseball, however, Wheeler's production might be out of their reach at this point of their careers.