Woo passes on Classic offer, focused on 200-IP goal

PEORIA, Ariz. -- Bryan Woo used the phrase “be smart” three times during an extended interview on Friday morning.

And each of them centered around one of the more difficult decisions he made this offseason.

The Mariners’ electric right-hander revealed that he turned down an invitation to pitch for Team USA in the upcoming World Baseball Classic, which itself would've been a huge honor in more ways than representing his country.

Woo generated college offers, but many were from smaller schools, which led him to be a walk-on at Cal Poly. He was an unheralded Draft pick in 2021, in the sixth round, while recovering from Tommy John surgery.

And he was never on the radar for USA Baseball’s amateur circuits.

“I wasn’t really good enough,” Woo said.

All of that’s to illustrate how rapidly Woo has risen to one of MLB’s elite starters, a status he intends to maintain in 2026 after a breakout ’25, when he was Seattle’s lone starter selected to the All-Star Game. And to do so, Woo estimates, his sole focus entering Spring Training is to prepare for the regular season.

“I would have loved to do it,” the 26-year-old Woo said. “But I just wanted to be smart about mostly the workload jump from '24 to '25. You add early games, early preparation, early high-stress innings -- my goal is to be throwing 200-plus innings and make all my starts. Like, that's a big jump to do this year.

“As much as I'd love to be on that team, in that locker room, I'm just trying to be smart about it.”

The “be smart” mantra extends to Seattle’s entire pitching staff, after a lengthy playoff run that saw many of its relievers reach career-high workloads and three starters land on the IL during the regular season. That trio didn’t include Woo, who was sidelined nearly a full month leading into October and didn’t return until the American League Championship Series.

The Mariners have reiterated that everyone reported to camp healthy, but maintaining that clean bill is every club’s most paramount priority over these next six weeks. And that’s clearly the case for Woo, who’s as cognizant about it as anyone given his lengthy early-career injury history.

“I definitely was disappointed with just how that whole season ended,” Woo said. “I would have obviously loved to contribute more to the team in the postseason, and that definitely hurt. So just kind of you learn from it, but you also kind of take it as motivation leading on to the next year.”

Woo has been in Arizona for several weeks -- aside from a trip to Sunday’s Super Bowl to support the Seahawks. He threw a bullpen session last week and was up to 95 mph. Mariners manager Dan Wilson alluded that they could ease him into Cactus League action, but not for health concerns. Woo made five starts last spring, which is probably a good guesstimate for 2026.

On pedigree, he’d be a frontrunner for Seattle’s Opening Day start.

Even with being sidelined in mid-September, Woo led the Mariners’ rotation in innings (186 2/3), strikeouts (198), WHIP (0.93) and ERA (2.94) while posting a 128 ERA+ (league average is 100). His season was defined by durability, yes, but more so longevity, as he began the year by clearing the sixth inning in his first 25 starts -- a franchise record.

But the club may opt to roll him out later and maneuver April’s four off-days -- which they did in 2025, when he was their No. 4 and had an extra day’s rest built into the rotation until May 7.

“Some of the same approach will be taken this year with it,” Wilson said. “I think, again, he's in a really good spot.”

The WBC would’ve complicated those plans, given the playoff-like atmosphere within the calendar’s early stage -- and the extreme demands to prepare for it. Woo’s workload climbed by more than 50 innings from 2024 to ’25 (including Minors), and his stated goal for ’26 is the coveted 200, a threshold that’s becoming increasingly rare.

Which ties back to that repeated phrase.

“If I had a couple of years where I was consistently healthy and with a consistent workload, and that all that stuff was much more stable, it'd be a different situation, I think,” Woo said. “But yeah, like I said, just trying to be smart about it.”