After frustrating finish last season, Mariners ace Bryan Woo brings new focus to 2026

PEORIA, Ariz. – Bryan Woo was flattered by the invitation. Reluctantly, he had to decline the chance to pitch for Team USA in the World Baseball Classic.

“I would have loved to do it,” the Mariners’ 26-year-old emerging ace said. “But just wanted to be smart.”

The Mariners view themselves as World Series contenders this year, and much of their earned optimism is owed to the renewed health of their pitching staff, the backbone of their organizational operation.

Woo is a significant piece in that – for this season and beyond – after his breakthrough 2025 season, when he made his first All-Star team and finished fifth in the AL Cy Young voting.

The season ended in frustrating fashion for him, though, when a pectoral strain shut him down for most of the Mariners’ run to the AL Championship Series. He was able to return to make two appearances, both in relief, in Games 5 and 7, but one can’t help but wonder how the ALCS against Toronto could have played out with a healthy Woo spearheading the M’s rotation.

“I definitely was disappointed with just how that whole season ended,” Woo said Friday. “I would have obviously loved to contribute more to the team in the postseason, and that definitely hurt.”

Physically, he said, he entered the offseason feeling fine.

He’s set some lofty goals for himself this season – he wants to make all his starts and throw 200 innings for the first time – and the idea of ramping up his pitching routine to pitch in the WBC in early March, he recognized, wasn’t prudent for him (or the Mariners).

Which is why he had to politely turn down the invitation from Team USA. (M’s catcher Cal Raleigh and lefty reliever Gabe Speier will play for USA next month, along with seven M’s big-leaguers representing other countries.)

“My priority is to be healthy for our team here,” Woo said. “… I never played on the Team USA stuff growing up. I wasn’t really good enough to. To basically get an opportunity at the highest stakes of USA Baseball, it was a huge honor.”

Woo noted his workload increase from 2024 (1211/3 innings) to 2025 (1862/3 innings) was a main factor in that decision.

“If I had a couple of years where (I was) consistently healthy and consistent workload and all that stuff was much more stable, it would be a different situation, I think,” said Woo, whose 3.21 career ERA is the best in franchise history for a pitcher with at least 70 starts. “But like I said, just trying to be smart about it. My priority is to be here.”

Woo has been here in Arizona for much of his offseason, working out at the spring training complex. During a bullpen session last week, he touched 95 mph – a tick higher than where he typically sits this early in the year.

That gave Mariners pitching coaches some pause. They want Woo to gradually build up this spring – they don’t think he needs a full spring-training workload to be ready for the regular season.

They’re taking the same approach with several of their high-leverage relievers – Andrés Muñoz, Matt Brash, Eduard Bazardo and Speier – who pitched so much deep into October.

A year ago, Woo made five Cactus League starts, throwing 161/3 innings. He’s expected to follow a similar plan this spring.

“Obviously, a great year for him,” M’s manager Dan Wilson said. “I thought his health was great last year just until the end, when we had the little hiccup there. What he went through last year, some of that same approach will be taken this year with it. I think he’s in a really good spot and he’s ready to go.”

Woo is growing into a larger leadership role in the M’s clubhouse, too. He began to find his voice in that regard last year, and he wants to be someone younger pitchers can lean on this spring.

He spent time with some of those young pitchers over the past several weeks during the Mariners’ annual Shove Camp for prospects in January.

“I do still remember how important it is for, like, an older guy to come sit with you at lunch or for you to talk to him after a bullpen or something like that,” Woo said. “Those things mean a lot as a young guy when so-and-so is watching or wants to help.”

Like just about everyone here, Woo has been impressed with top pitching prospects Kade Anderson and Ryan Sloan, both in their first big-league camp, and both of whom drew large crowds this week during their first bullpens of camp.

“I think trying to get them comfortable as early as possible and, like, let them know how good they are, and that they’re here for a reason,” Woo said of how the prospects are settling in. “I think talent-wise, all these guys are incredibly talented at such a young age. I’d say it’s honestly less about baseball and more just trying to get to (know) them as humans, and just help them be more comfortable.”