Back on Track: The Max Kranick Bandwagon and His Rehab Story — Kiner’s Korner Exclusive

Let the record show, I’ve been driving the Max Kranick bandwagon since Day One. Don’t believe me? Go ahead and check the KinersKorner.com Facebook group archives. As the kids say, I’ve got the receipts.

And why not? The guy’s got that mix every Mets fan dreams of: lifelong Mets fan ,he even attended a baseball clinic run by Al Leiter as a kid and fifteen years later caught the ceremonial first pitch from Leiter on Opening Day in 2025 — hometown roots, bulldog mentality, and a story that just won’t quit. When I caught up with Max for an exclusive one-on-one, he was rehabbing in Port St. Lucie, doing what he does best, grinding and somehow making you believe in the next chapter before it’s even written.

Kranick’s road to the Mets began at Valley View High School in Pennsylvania, the same state as the Pirates, who drafted him out of high school. “It was a great organization to get drafted into,” he told me. “They have a long history of developing really good pitchers, but it also forced me to grow up fast. Moving away for the first time, being homesick, teammates from all over the world — it really made me mature.”

It also helped that the Pirates had a good eye. Kranick worked his way up, making his major league debut in 2021 with one of the most storybook starts you’ll ever hear, five perfect innings before a rain delay. “It was such a blur,” he said. “I just remember my family and friends being there, my buddies driving out. It gave me a lot of confidence, maybe too much,” he laughed. “I always joke that I started too high, and it’s been a little downhill since.”

That self-deprecating humor is part of why I’ve always been drawn to Kranick. That, and the fact he’s a lifelong Mets fan. “I grew up watching David Wright and Jose Reyes — those were my guys,” he said. “And getting to know David a little bit this year… he’s just as nice as you’d hope. A really good guy.”

After stints with Pittsburgh and the rollercoaster of injuries, Max is wearing the orange and blue he grew up loving. “Playing for my childhood team, that was the most fun I’ve ever had playing baseball,” he told me. “It was just such a bummer to get injured midseason. But I think when this rehab is over, there’s no doubt I’ll be better than I was before.”

That attitude is no accident. His career turning point came during the COVID shutdown when, instead of bingeing Tiger King like the rest of us, he rebuilt himself. “I was dealing with some arm things, but that time let me fine-tune everything,” he said. “I figured out my mechanics, how to stay healthy. That’s when I knew I could really do this.”

Technology has changed the game since Kranick broke in, and he’s both fascinated and a little cautious. “I think some of it can be a little bit scary, especially if you’re a guy that… you know, your pitch metrics are just… they are their average things,” he said. “During 2020, I didn’t really want to dive in because my stuff wasn’t where it needed to be. But that was the timing to look in the mirror and tweak things. With those machines and all that technology and the pitching labs, you can speed up your development if you use it right. You can really find any answer — the question is, do you want to put in the work to make it better? I just think those places really help speed up development. Guys who can add a pitch every year, they just go home in the offseason, get a high-speed camera, get TrackMan, and go to work. By spring, you throw in your bullpen, get feedback from hitters, bring it into the games. It’s a much quicker process than it used to be.”

Kranick credits the coaches and teammates who’ve helped him along the way, from Hefner to Drew Smith and Clay Holmes. “I might ask too many questions,” he laughed, “but I think it’d be foolish not to. Guys like Drew Smith, he’s been in the league seven years, had success — it’d be foolish not to learn from him. Same with Clay Holmes. He’s successful, he’s durable, his routines are clean. I’m just trying to pick up things from everyone and add or take things out. It’s a never-ending process.”

His rehab routine now is a full-time job. When it comes to rehab, Kranick’s schedule is structured but personal. “The surgeon, Dr. Meister, he’s the best, really awesome — he gives the protocol and hands it over to the team,” Max said. “The doctors, PTs, and everyone run with it. These injuries happen so often across baseball now that if you follow the protocol, ninety-something percent of the time, it’s going to go well. So just be smart, don’t be stupid. Follow the plan and take your time. You’re not going to rush these timelines; they’re there for a reason.”

Once the plan was in place, it was all about execution, and that’s where Kranick’s discipline kicks in. His rehab routine is structured but productive and, in true Kranick fashion, approached with purpose. “I start my day at 7:30 with my PT,” he said. “We’re working from 7:30 to about 9:30 or 10, doing all my soft tissue work, stretching, mobility, strengthening, recovery stuff, all that. Then at 10 o’clock I’ll go into the weight room, get my lift in, get my running in, whatever that might be. After that I head back into the training room, do more recovery and hands-on work. I’m probably done around one o’clock every day.

“So they’re pretty efficient days, but we’re making the most of them,” he continued. “I really love the plan they’ve put in place for me. I’ve been able to work on some parts of my body and things I wouldn’t normally have time for in a typical offseason. Just trying to fine-tune and tweak things, make my body stronger than it was before. The idea is to be built back better.”

Just as structured as his days in the training room is the mindset Kranick brings to the process. Rehab isn’t just physical; it’s a mental grind, and staying focused on the day-to-day work is just as important as the exercises themselves.

“Yeah, I think it’s just staying in the moment, staying day by day. You continue to stack good days, those good days turn to good weeks that turn to good months, and you pick your head up and you’re in a really good spot for whatever comes next.”

That’s not to say it’s easy. Kranick’s been through Tommy John surgery and, more recently, a flexor tendon procedure. “The flexor tendon was shorter, a couple months less,” he explained. “But I couldn’t grip anything for eight weeks. That was a pain. Still, this one’s gone really smoothly. The Tommy John actually helped me mentally for this. I know what it’s supposed to feel like.”

And the human side of the coaching staff? “As far as the new pitching coach and the staff, I’ve been down here with them as they’ve been in and out. It’s good to see those people. Obviously, I’ll miss Jeremy Hefner — he was great to me, really good for the organization, and he’s just a good guy. You hear that a lot about him, and it’s true. He’ll definitely be missed.”

So what keeps him from getting frustrated? “I think it’s just like… it is what it is,” he said. “You can feel sorry for yourself for a couple days, but then you’ve got to get back to work. You look in the mirror, see what you can do better, and fix it. Injuries happen, across the league, they just do. You can’t say ‘why me.’”

He’s not just talking about pros either. I asked him what advice he’d give to high school kids going through their own injuries. His answer was pure Max: “Don’t be scared of it. You’re not alone. Use that time wisely fix your delivery, get your lower half stronger. There’s no excuse why you can’t come back better. Just stay consistent.”

Kranick’s timeline to return is realistic but optimistic, very Mets fan of him. “Surgery was in July,” he said. “Protocol is 11 to 12 months, so ideally midseason next year. Maybe before the All-Star break if all goes well. But obviously, smart comes first.”

In the meantime, he’s keeping things simple: stack good days, stay consistent, and remember what it felt like to toe the rubber for his childhood team. “Everyone’s extremely motivated to get back out there,” he said. “It’s going to be a great year next year.”

And I, for one, believe him. I’ve been on the Max Kranick bandwagon since before it was cool, and trust me, space is filling fast , better hop on now.