Bryan Woo's 2025 Performance: A Case for Fantasy Baseball's Ace
Bryan Woo's 2025 season was a testament to his resilience and talent, silencing critics who labeled him injury-prone. He delivered ace-level performances across a full workload, solidifying his status as a reliable fantasy baseball starter. With elite command, deep outings, and a growing strikeout profile, Woo's 2025 season was a breakthrough, marking a significant shift from the risky upside play he was once perceived to be.
Woo's Journey with the Mariners
The Seattle Mariners entered the 2024 season with four promising young arms, but Woo stood out as the one with the highest injury risk. Despite this, he made 30 starts, showcasing frontline ace results with a fourth-best FPGscore of 6.94 for pitchers. However, his 2024 season was marred by injuries, including a right elbow issue that delayed his season debut until May 10th.
Woo's Electric Arm
Over his first eight appearances in 2024, Woo's arm was electric, posting a 3-1 record with a 1.77 ERA, 0.689 WHIP, and 28 strikeouts in 42.2 innings. However, a hamstring injury sidelined him for 17 days early in the summer, and he struggled in his final 14 starts, allowing 12 home runs and facing challenges in four contests, accumulating 19 runs, 34 baserunners, and seven home runs over 20.1 innings with 15 strikeouts.
2024 Success and 2025 Breakthrough
In 2024, Woo maintained a solid ERA of 2.94 and WHIP of 0.927, while increasing his strikeout rate to 9.5 and keeping his walks per nine at 1.7. Batters hit .200 against him, compared to .211 in 2024. He ranked fifth in the majors with 15 wins, pitching at least six innings in 27 games and going 10-2 at home with a 2.44 ERA, 0.801 WHIP, and 100 strikeouts in 88.2 innings.
Woo's Pitching Arsenal
Woo's average fastball of 95.6 mph was his best pitch with the Mariners. He featured an electric four-seamer with a .153 BAA and 95 strikeouts, a plus slider with a .184 BAA and 63 strikeouts, and a changeup with a .235 BAA. His neutral sinker offered a .257 BAA.
2026 Fantasy Outlook: A Reliable Ace
In 2025, Woo removed any lingering injury concerns, at least from the fantasy market's perspective. His efficiency allows him to pitch deeper into games, creating more win opportunities (46.2% of the past two seasons). With all signs pointing to another great season, his right elbow issue from 2024 remains a potential dark cloud on the horizon.
Top Fantasy Pitchers According to ADP
The top five pitchers according to ADP, as per theNFBC, include:
1. Tarik Skubal
2. Paul Skenes
3. Garrett Crochet
4. Yoshinobu Yamamoto
5. Christopher Sanchez
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