The fifth member of the Seattle Mariners’ excellent starting rotation – 25-year-old right-hander Bryan Woo – has flown a bit under the radar. Although he was sidelined by hamstring and elbow issues for a significant part of last year, he was dominant when he took the mound. Despite posting a 2.89 ERA and 0.90 WHIP over 121.1 innings, his NFBC ADP is around 145. Woo represents a massive opportunity for fantasy baseball managers to draft a starting pitcher in the middle rounds who has a real chance to provide early-round value.
Under the Radar: 5 Reasons Bryan Woo is Worth Drafting
Reason #1: Historical Precedent
Last season, the right-hander became the only pitcher in the Live Ball Era (since 1920) aged 24 or younger to throw at least 120 innings with a 0.90 WHIP. There are just eight instances in the same time period of a pitcher aged 27 or younger doing the same. Here’s that list:
| Player | Season Stats | Next Season Stats |
|---|---|---|
| Logan Gilbert, 2024Â | 208.2 IP, 0.89 WHIP, 3.23 ERAÂ | N/AÂ |
| Bryan Woo, 2024Â | 121.1 IP, 0.89 WHIP, 2.89 ERAÂ | N/AÂ |
| Clayton Kershaw, 2015Â | 232.2 IP, 0.88, 2.13 ERAÂ | 149.0 IP, 0.73 WHIP, 1.69 ERAÂ |
| Clayton Kershaw, 2014Â | 198.1 IP, 0.86 WHIP, 1.77 ERAÂ | 232.2 IP, 0.88 WHIP, 2.13 ERAÂ |
| Dave McNally, 1968Â | 273.0 IP, 0.84 WHIP, 1.95 ERAÂ | 268.2 IP, 1.18 WHIP, 3.22 ERAÂ |
| Luis Tiant, 1968Â | 258.1 IP, 0.87 WHIP, 1.60 ERAÂ | 249.2 IP, 1.43 WHIP, 3.71 ERAÂ |
| Sandy Koufax, 1963Â | 311.0 IP, 0.88 WHIP, 1.88 ERAÂ | 223.0 IP, 0.93 WHIP, 1.74 ERAÂ |
| Satchel Paige, 1934Â | 145.2 IP, 0.87 WHIP, 1.54 ERAÂ | N/A (no recorded 1935 stats)Â |
Logan Gilbert checking in is another testament to the Mariners’ elite starting rotation. But it’s not just last year’s performance that shows Woo’s potential; it’s just as much a combination of his mechanics, strike-throwing ability, and underrated arsenal.
Reason #2: Deceptive Mechanics
Although he didn’t rack up a lot of strikeouts – which contributed to his flying under the radar in 2024 – Woo held hitters to a .220 xBA in 2024 by disguising an elite pitch mix very well. He throws four of his five pitches with a 27-degree arm angle – his slider is the only outlier, at 28 degrees – and that consistency makes it very hard for hitters to discern what he’s throwing. For reference, his rotation mate Luis Castillo throws from three distinct arm slots: 17 degrees on his fastball, 15 degrees on his slider and sinker, and 11 degrees on his changeup.
Reason #3: Pitch Tunneling
In addition to throwing all his offerings from the same arm slot, Woo tunnels his pitches very well.
| Pitch Type/Movement | Horizontal | Vertical |
|---|---|---|
| Changeup | -17 | 29.7 |
| Sinker | -16.8 | 23.8 |
| Slider | 3.3 | 34.6 |
| Sweeper | 14.9 | 38.3 |
His sweeper has similar vertical movement to his slider but with more horizontal movement. In the same vein, his sinker moves similarly to his changeup horizontally but has less drop. Woo’s tunneling ability forces hitters to make uncertain swing decisions, which is a recipe for low-quality batted balls. If Woo throws a sweeper and starts it at the batter’s knees, they can’t tell based on the initial vertical movement where the ball will end up because his slider looks the same. When hitters can’t see distinct two-plane movement out of the hand, it’s more difficult to identify which pitch is being thrown.
Woo’s ability to keep the hitter guessing even during the pitch keeps them off balance and limits hard contact. Although he didn’t rack up a lot of strikeouts in 2024, preventing barrels helped him excel while also flying under the radar.
2024 Barrel Rate, min. 400 PA
- Andre Pallante, STL (3.3%)
- Justin Steele, CHC (4.2%)
- Hunter Brown, HOU (4.5%)
- Bryan Woo, SEA (4.8%)
Reason #4: Under-the-Radar Stuff
Not only does he throw a variety of pitches from the same arm slot with distinct movement, but they are effective independent of each other. According to Stuff+, Woo had the fourth-best fastball among pitchers with at least 120 IP last year. He ran it up to 96 MPH in his latest spring start against the Angels and finished his outing with six strikeouts in 2.1 scoreless innings. Not one of Woo’s five pitches registered an xwOBA over .274 last season, giving him a variety of options to get any hitter out.
Reason #5: Underrated Command
Perhaps the most remarkable thing about Bryan Woo and the rest of the Mariners’ starting staff is their ability to pair elite stuff with pinpoint command. Being overshadowed by the more established George Kirby in 2024 was a significant reason Woo’s excellent command flew under the radar. The young right-hander very rarely walks batters. His 2.8 BB% led all MLB pitchers with at least 120 IP in 2024, and his knack for pounding the strike zone means his WHIP will be solid at worst and elite at best.
2024 % of Pitches Thrown Ahead in the Count, min. 1500 pitches (courtesy of Baseball Savant)
- Bryan Woo, SEA (72.9%)
- Miles Mikolas, STL (72.4%)
- Brandon Pfaadt, ARI (70.8%)
- Joe Ryan, MIN (70.4%)
- Logan Webb, SFG (69.7%)
- Chris Sale, ATL (69.4%)
- Tarik Skubal, DET (68.7%)
Working ahead in the count unlocks Woo’s entire arsenal, which limits productive contact and leads to more strikeouts.
After having flown under the radar in 2024, 25-year-old Mariners righty Bryan Woo is a fantastic high-upside option for fantasy managers this season. His WHIP should benefit from low walk rates and efficient innings, and his deep arsenal will help him tack on strikeouts and limit home runs. For fantasy managers willing to assume some injury risk, he’s worthy of early-to-mid-round consideration.
For more of the great fantasy baseball rankings and analysis you’ve come to expect from FantraxHQ, check out our full 2025 Fantasy Baseball Draft Kit! We’re here for you all the way up until Opening Day and then on into your championship run.
