Woo Becomes Most Recent Former Mustang to Appear in MLB Playoffs
10/18/2025 12:30:00 AM | Baseball
SAN LUIS OBISPO, Calif. — For the first time in three years, a former Cal Poly baseball player has competed in a Major League playoff game.
Bryan Woo tossed two innings for the Seattle Mariners on Friday afternoon at T-Mobile Park in relief against the Toronto Blue Jays, becoming the first ex-Mustang in a playoff game since another Mariner, outfielder Mitch Haniger, made a postseason appearance in the 2022 American League playoffs.
Haniger started two games for the Mariners in the wild-card round against Toronto and three more in the divisional round versus the Houston Astros.
Woo, the first former Mustang to pitch in a playoff game since Justin Bruihl appeared in three relief appearances for the Los Angeles Dodgers against Atlanta in the 2021 National League Championship Series, allowed a run and two hits during his two innings Friday with one walk and no strikeouts.
Seattle’s third pitcher of the game, Woo worked through the sixth and seventh innings, giving up a tie-breaking run in the sixth on a line-drive single by Toronto’s Ernie Clement. Toronto also loaded the bases with one out in the seventh, but a grounder to third base and a comebacker ended the threat.
“It was awesome to just get back out there,” Woo told sports reporter Tim Booth of the Seattle Times. “And, yeah, the ovation from the fans was pretty special.”
Seattle scored five times in the eighth inning to overcome a 2-1 deficit en route to a 6-2 victory. Cal Raleigh’s solo blast tied the game at 2-2 and Eugenio Suarez hit his second home run of the game, a grand slam to right field, to break the game open.
Making the first relief appearance of his Major League career, Woo was sidelined four weeks with a strained pectoral muscle which occurred in a game Sept. 19 at Houston. Woo was not on the Mariners’ roster in their divisional series against the Detroit Tigers as he continued his recovery from the injury.
Woo’s last relief appearance at any level was at Cal Poly in April 2021.
“Felt great. Stuff felt good. Ball was coming out well, velo was good,” Woo said. “Obviously, my first inning didn’t execute the way I wanted to, and it is what it is. But, yeah, just good to get back up there.”
In 30 regular season starts, Woo was 15-7 with a 2.94 ERA. He was named to the American League All-Star team for the first time.
Seattle needs one more win Sunday or Monday against Toronto to make its first-ever World Series appearance. The only ex-Mustang to appear in a World Series game was Ozzie Smith, the last time in 1987. He also played in the World Series for St. Louis in 1985 and 1982.
Woo hopes to be able to rebound quickly enough to be an option in the remaining games of the ALCS.
Bryan Woo is pitching for the first time in 28 days pic.twitter.com/QfQ9dykuBz
— Talkin’ Baseball (@TalkinBaseball_) October 17, 2025
