Mariners vs. Yankees: DMo stays scorching, Bryan Woos the crowd & his parents

Best Pitcher: Bryan Woo

6.0 IP, 2 H, 0 ER, 0 BB, 7 K, W

Woo dealt an absolute gem against one of the most frightening lineups in baseball. Leading MLB with 75 combined home runs and an OPS of .772, the sheer potency of the Yankees offense is what made Woo's start all the more special. After a potential injury scare in his first game off the IL against the Athletics, he's pitched 11.1 innings while giving up just one earned run. Against New York, he had 16 swings and misses, ten of which were from his four-seam fastball.

While the fastball continues to be his best pitch, the increased usage of his changeup may be a big cause of his improved performance against lefties. In 2023, it was a big hole in his game, with opposing LHB posting a .928 OPS against him in 180 plate appearances. So far, in 33 plate appearances, the opposing LHB have only managed a .406 OPS. Scott Servais has continued to emphasize the importance of Woo continuing to develop his arsenal and add an effective breaking or off-speed pitch so it's clear that the team knows the talent they have in Woo and what to do to get him to the net level.

Honorable Mention: Andrés Muñoz

2.0 IP, 2 H, 0 ER, 1 BB, 3 K, 2 SV

Muñoz gets another nod for more great work as the team's closer. There was some potential for Ryne Stanek to compete for the spot but with Muñoz earning his tenth save of the season, it seems clear who Servais prefers in high-leverage situations.

A great example of just how great he's been was his first save of the series. After Seattle's bats came to life and put up four runs in the ninth inning to take a one-run lead, Muñoz was tasked with sealing the deal. He ended up facing the top of the Yankees order which contained Anthony Volpe, Juan Soto, and Aaron Judge. He struck out Volpe and Judge and got Alex Verdugo to ground out to give Seattle the win. His final pitch to Judge in particular was the cherry on top to a dominant at-bat.