After making only $783,000 this season, Seattle Mariners right-hander Bryan Woo earned a $1.5 million bonus on Tuesday as part of the pool of money set aside for pre-arbitration eligible players.

Woo was one of 10 players to take home more than $1 million this season, earning the bonus because of his strong season, which included a fifth-place finish in the American League Cy Young award voting.

Per the Associated Press, the following players received more than $1 million:

Paul Skenes, Pittsburgh $3,436,343

Cristopher Sánchez, Philadelphia 2,678,437

Hunter Brown, Houston 2,206,538

Bryan Woo, Seattle 1,540,676

Corbin Carroll, Arizona 1,341,674

Nick Kurtz, Athletics 1,297,017

Pete Crow-Armstrong, Chicago Cubs 1,206,207

Drake Baldwin, Athletics 1,175,583

Brice Turang, Milwaukee 1,155,884

Junior Caminero, Tampa Bay 1,068,739

About Woo's year

Heading into spring training, Woo figured to be the No. 5 starter for the M's, behind Logan Gilbert, Luis Castillo, George Kirby and Bryce Miller. Injury issues in 2023 and 2024 brought up questions about his durability, but he became the ace of the staff by year's end.

An All-Star for the first time, Woo went 15-7 with a 2.94 ERA. He carried a 0.93 WHIP, striking out 198 batters in 186.2 innings.

Woo made 30 starts on the campaign, unfortunately injuring his right pec in a Sept. 19 victory over the Houston Astros. He missed the end of the regular season as well as the American League Division Series against the Detroit Tigers. He was on the roster for the American League Championship Series against the Toronto Blue Jays, but he only served in a relief capacity, pitching in Games 5 and 7.

Looking forward

It will be fascinating to see how the Mariners treat and view Woo heading into 2026. His numbers and consistency warrant him being viewed as the ace of the staff moving forward, and they warrant him earning the start on Opening Day.

However, Castillo is a two-time Opening Day starter for Seattle and is the veteran leader of the group, while Gilbert was the Opening Day starter in 2025. Will Dan Wilson bypass them in an effort to reward Woo for his performance?

Other M's

Dominic Canzone was the only other Mariner to receive a bonus under the system, earning an additional $222,066. 

The Mariners could have more players earn bonuses next year, as Woo is eligible again as a pre-arbitration player. Young players like Cole Young, Ben Williamson and Colt Emerson could also find themselves playing big roles for Seattle, earning financial opportunity as a result.

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