The Mariners’ Latest Roster Change Comes With Huge Implications

Highlights

• Mariners add Bryan Woo to the ALCS roster; he’s expected to start mid-series.
  
• Seattle opens the ALCS at Toronto with Bryce Miller in Game 1.
  
• Woo’s return lets Seattle rebalance innings after a 15-inning ALDS clincher.
  
  

Seattle’s pitching corps just survived a 15-inning push to reach the American League Championship Series. Now, with the stakes higher and the schedule tighter, the Mariners finally get the piece that makes their pitching plan whole again. Bryan Woo is active for the ALCS — and he’s lined up to start once the series shifts back to Seattle. 

What’s officially set

Game 1 goes to Bryce Miller in Toronto. The Blue Jays counter with Kevin Gausman. It’s a pragmatic call after the ALDS marathon and the way Seattle had to stack innings to get out of Detroit. Woo won’t be available for Game 1, but he’s on the roster for the series.

Why Woo changes the calculus

Before the pectoral issue in September, Woo pitched like a front-line arm: 15–7, 2.94 ERA, 198 K, 0.99 WHIP in 186 2/3 IP. That workload and efficiency matter here; Seattle doesn’t just need another name — it needs innings and a starter who can bridge the game cleanly to the late-inning group. Getting Woo back mid-series gives Dan Wilson a pressure valve after the bullpen’s heavy lift in the ALDS.

The immediate knock-on effects

Woo’s presence lets Seattle slot the rest of the rotation without overextending anyone: Miller opens, and then Wilson can choose between Logan Gilbert, Luis Castillo, and George Kirby in either order ahead of Woo’s first start. The bigger advantage is structural. Emerson Hancock can shift to long relief/insurance. Andrés Muñoz can be reserved for their usual leverage windows instead of covering early-game emergencies. That’s how the Mariners want games scripted in October.

How Dan Wilson will likely play it