TAMPA, Fla. – The signature Max Fried curveball was on display Saturday, unleashed during his second live batting practice of Yankees’ camp.

“Sometimes it’s feeling really good, other times you’ve got to work to find it,’’ Fried said of his spring training routine. “That’s kind of been my pitch since I was 12, 13 years old.’’

Growing up in the Los Angeles area, Fried attended Reggie Smith’s baseball academy and learned from the ex-MLB outfielder “a bunch of different grips’’ to throw the curveball, “and I was able to take it from there.’’

Smith remains a mentor to the left-handed Fried, who also studied video of the pitching mechanics and the approach of Sandy Koufax, even wearing his No. 32 as a youth.

Now, as a teammate of Gerrit Cole’s, “anything I can learn from him, I’m all ears,’’ said Fried, who joined the Yankees on an eight-year, $218 million free agent contract.

Increasing Max Fried’s strikeout totals

Signing Fried, 31, was the Yankees’ first response after losing free agent Juan Soto to the Mets, bolstering a rotation that was already a team strength.

“An excellent addition, a really unique talent,’’ Cole said of Fried. “There’s a lot of things he can do with the baseball and he’s a highly regarded teammate as well.

“It’s been a pleasure to see him go about his work,’’ said Cole, impressed by Fried’s “focus and concentration every time he throws the ball.’’

And the 6-foot-4, 190-pound Fried has a wide arsenal, including a fastball that can reach 98-mph, a sinker, changeup, two types of sliders, and a cutter, to go with the big curveball.

After eight seasons with the Atlanta Braves – including their 2021 world championship club, when he started the World Series clincher – manager Aaron Boone said that Fried already “seems very comfortable’’ in pinstripes.

“Once we signed him, he’s been a sponge,’’ Boone said of Fried’s eagerness to absorb new information.

For instance, the Yankees’ staff believes that Fried can increase his strikeout totals, and “I think there’s absolutely room for that,’’ said Fried. “At the end of the day, strikeouts come from consistent shapes of pitches and good location.’’

But that doesn’t mean altering Fried’s persona as pitcher who induces grounders and misses barrels.

“I’ve been able to have a lot of success getting weak contact and grounders,’’ said Fried, owner of a superb 58.1 percent groundball rate over the past two seasons. “But I can definitely add more of that (swing and miss) portion to my game than what I do already.

“I’m not going to complain about being able to strike out more guys.’’

Max Fried has already impressed the Yankees

Boone has been impressed by Fried since the organization’s initial Zoom chat in early December, when the lefty made “an easy connection’’ with the staff.

“He had a lot of good questions for our pitching guys,’’ said Boone, and that inquisitive nature piqued the organization’s interest beyond his already impressive credentials and 3.07 career ERA.

“To be able to come over and have a fresh new set of eyes and give you new ideas – any new information I can bring in to enhance (my career),’’ is welcome for Fried, a first-round draft pick by the San Diego Padres who came of age in the historically pitching-rich Braves organization.

“I’m just trying to be open-minded,” said Fried. “And soak up as much as I can.”

Yankees manager Aaron Boone on contract talks

Responding to GM Brian Cashman’s comments about signing Aaron Boone to an extension, and soon, the manager said: “I would echo the same thing; I hope we get it done.’’

On Friday, Cashman said it was the Yankees’ intent to get a contract extension firmed up for Boone, operating on his final guaranteed year after owner Hal Steinbrenner triggered his 2025 option.

Contract talks have already begun, and Cashman said a new deal could be hammered out during spring training.

“There’s no place I’d rather be,’’ said Boone, who is “certainly optimistic and hopeful now’’ of remaining beyond 2025, his eighth season at the Yanks’ helm.