Mariners fans pumped up by skyrocketing hype for ace Bryan Woo

The elite quality of the Seattle Mariners rotation has been well documented. In 2024, it finished first in the Majors in numerous categories. More of the same is expected in 2025, even despite George Kirby beginning the season on the injured list with shoulder inflammation.

What really stands out is the ridiculous talent and potential from top to bottom in this Mariners rotation, with one example being Bryce Miller leading all team pitchers with a 3.4 WAR for last season despite being the fourth starter. Which brings us to Bryan Woo, who is the fifth starter when everyone is healthy.

Woo served notice of his ability last year, when he overcame injuries early in the campaign to introduce himself to the baseball world as the Mariners' latest pitching prodigy. By season's end, he was arguably the best arm in the M's rotation.

The 25-year-old led all Mariners starters with a 2.89 ERA, 2.72 xERA, 1.0 walks per nine innings, and a .750 win-loss percentage. His 0.898 WHIP was just behind Logan Gilbert's Major League-best 0.887, while his 7.77 strikeouts-to-walks ratio was all but level with Kirby's Major League-leading 7.78.

Bryan Woo serving notice to the national media

What's really satisfying for Mariners fans now is that the national media is finally waking up to just how special Woo is. His name is being mentioned everywhere right now.

The Athletic's Jim Bowden included Woo in his 2025 All-MLB Breakout Team, a 26-man roster of promising players to watch for. (Subscription required.) This isn't the first time Bowden has focused on Woo, with the former Cincinnati Reds general manager previously naming the righty as one of 12 breakout candidates he was excited to scout during spring training. At the time we perceived this as an odd choice, as he had already broken out last season.

In any event, it's a positive that the 2021 sixth-round draft pick is being noticed in a favorable light, with ESPN also getting in on the act. As part of their 2025 MLB season preview, they made one realistic bold prediction for each team, and for the Mariners they had Woo being the team's best starter.

Given our aforementioned comment that Woo was arguably the Mariners' best starter by the end of last season, you won't find us opposing this prediction. ESPN references his improvement versus lefties as evidence that he is the real deal, and this really must be exciting for fans in general ahead of the 2025 season, when your fifth starter is being held in such high regard.

In line to eventually become the Mariners' staff ace?

Earlier this month, Sodo Mojo's Tremayne Person wrote about how Woo is in the conversation for having the highest ceiling among the Mariners' fab five. Person took it further by making the case for the Oakland native being the most underrated ace in the Majors.

As if all of this isn't enough already, Woo this week even received the Foolish Baseball video essay treatment. It's an interesting watch which we highly recommend, with reference to how he struggled in college and had a terrible 6.11 ERA in his draft year, ranking him 73rd in his college conference.

Fortunately for the Mariners, Director of Pitching Strategy Trent Blake was fully invested in the talent of Woo and helped persuade Jerry Dipoto to draft him. Despite the young pitcher's high ERA with the Cal Poly Mustangs, Blake focused on — among other things — his strikeout percentage minus walk percentage, which was the best in the Big West Conference in 2021.

The main obstacle in Woo's way is his ability to avoid injury, with Foolish Baseball referencing him undergoing Tommy John Surgery in his draft year. Bowden asks if he can be successful over a full season, while ESPN stresses his need to stay healthy for 30 starts.

While this is an understandable critique, the Mariners are doing everything possible to ensure Woo can remain healthy and reach his full potential. And this should concern the rest of the Majors, as he may well end up being better than Gilbert, Kirby, Miller and Luis Castillo.

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