Bryan Woo is giving the Mariners exactly what they need right now

Was it a win, or was it a wake?

A little hard to tell by the way Bryan Woo was talking after the game. The Mariners starting pitcher had the demeanor of a defeated man even though he was the key cog in defeating the Rangers.

The final stat line read: Seven innings pitched, two runs, four hits and six strikeouts in a 5-2 win over Texas. The postgame media session read: bummed.

I'll give myself tonight to be pissed, and once I wake up tomorrow it's a new day," Woo said.

I'll admit I shaved off quite a bit of context there. Woo seems like the kind of player that would rather give up six runs in a win rather than one in a loss, so it's not like he was in mourning. But Sunday, he had pitched six nearly flawless innings before entering the seventh vs. the Rangers. Then, he walked Corey Seager at the top of the frame. After that, he allowed a Wyatt Langford single. Then, after striking out Jake Burger, he plunked Joc Pederson, watched a run score on a sacrifice fly and gave up a one-run double to Evan Carter. Woo got out of the inning after Josh Smith grounded out, and even though the Mariners still held a 5-2 lead at that point, Bryan's masterpiece had been downgraded to a good ol'-fashioned gem.

It's not uncommon for professional athletes to harp on mistakes, even in victory. But Woo's postgame seemed more somber than it was celebratory.

So how do you interpret all this as a Mariners fan? Like this - that the next great Seattle hurler might be upon us.

I've relayed this story before, but it bears repeating for this column. Woo was a sixth-round draft pick for Seattle in 2021, but if given the opportunity, Mariners director of pitching strategy Trent Blank would have taken Woo No. 1 overall despite his 6.11 ERA in his final year at Cal Poly San Luis Obispo. Five years later, after Woo finished fifth in the American League Cy Young voting last season, it seems like Blank may have had it right. The man just keeps getting better.

Woo entered Sunday's game with a 2.16 ERA and a career-low 2.24 FIP (fielding-independent pitching), which is often the best predictor of a pitcher's success. He also has yet to allow a home run this season through 32 innings pitched.

Sunday, after giving up a leadoff single in the first, Woo retired the next 15 Rangers. His pitch count was at a paltry 61 before entering the seventh inning. He may officially be the No. 3 starter, but he has looked like the team's ace thus far this season. And though all this may be leading toward a massive payday, right now Woo's job is to be Mr. Reliable on what's been a concerningly inconsistent Mariners roster.

Sunday's win, after all, bumped Seattle's record up to 10-13 after it lost four straight before the weekend. The offensive firepower hasn't been there, with the team hitting .216 (28th in MLB) and Cal Raleigh - who smashed 60 homers last year - slashing .159/.250/.261 with just two long balls.

But Woo has been a constant. And as hard as he can be on himself, he's been even harder to hit.

What do you think of what Bryan has been able to do so far this year? Mariners outfielder Rob Refsnyder was asked.

"Bryan was super impressive even in spring training. I remember when we first got together - just trying to think of the right word - very determined from last year and he had goals in mind in where he wanted the team to be," said Refsnyder, who hit a leadoff home run in the bottom of the first Sunday. "He's got that quiet confidence. … He's the real deal. Easy guy to follow. His preparation is elite.

Asked about whether he thought about pitching a shutout given his pitch count after six innings, Woo said he hadn't. His logic was that anytime you get ahead of yourself, you're inviting trouble. So it would probably also be wise of him to avoid thinking about a payday given how he'll be arbitration eligible at the end of this season. That's an eternity away given the Mariners' goals this season.

No, for now, Woo is just going to deal. And he's unlikely to be satisfied with most results regardless of the outcome.

A recipe for personal contentment? Probably not. A recipe for his team's success? Absolutely.

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