Game Plan Template: Bryan Woo Case Study (2025)
Intro
Bryan Woo turned heads this season with a true breakout campaign, elevating himself from a young arm with upside to one of the most reliable performers in Seattle. His emergence made him one of the year’s biggest pitching risers. Here’s how I would gameplan for him.
Everyone will have different spins on how to gameplan, but to me, the best have consistent systems.
This model is consistent across pitchers: define our damage, set acceptable misses, and give hitters freedom to get their A-swing off in the right zones.
Different spins, same template.
Our Repeatable Template
1. Identify
Arsenal, shapes, usage by count, and split profiles.
2. Locate
Where he gets swing-and-miss and where he gives up damage (R/L).
3. Decide
Our “go” zones + acceptable misses.
4. Execute
Hitter-type cues, in-box adjustments, two-strike rules.
Arsenal Overview
Four-seam: mid-90s with ride; plays at the belt/top.
LHH can ambush belt-in; RHH must respect the top rail.
Sinker: heavy arm-side run; punishes RHH down-in if you roll over; becomes damage when it straightens and leaks middle.
Change: tumble below the thighs; strike-to-ball chase pitch when he’s ahead.
Slider/Sweeper: glove-side; steals strikes early, expands late for chase/weak contact.
Pitch Mix / VB+HB Movement Plot / Release Height/ Usage by Handedness
Key identity:
Woo is a fastball-first mover with unique release/ride characteristics. He wins with angle, shape, and commitment to the top rail.
Where Does He Get Swing-and-Miss?
Elevated four-seam:
Top rail and above: his #1 whiff weapon, especially vs RHH.
Split/change:
Strike-to-ball under the zone. Mainly LHH
Slider/sweeper:
Glove-side, late off plate.
Whiff Heatmaps RHH / LHH
Summary:
Whiff clusters live UP. This dictates our entire approach: we do not lose above the belt.
Where He Gives Up Damage
LHH
4-seam leaks belt or middle-in
Mistakes that don’t climb
RHH
Sinker/2S that runs back to middle low
Mistakes that don’t climb/Sliders/splits left on the plate
Damage Heatmaps RHH / LHH
Summary:
Damage happens below the belt.
When he elevates, he wins. When he brings it to the bottom 2/3’s of the zone, we win.
Count Usage (R/L)
This helps define situational windows.
Pie Chart on the left is vs LHH, on the right is vs RHH
Key patterns:
Behind in the count, he fills the zone with fastballs.
Ahead, he climbs with 4S or expands with SL/CH.
Two-strike patterns are predictable: elevated FF or offspeed below the zone.
Our Plan vs Bryan Woo
This would be an example of something I would present to the team, which we can tailor to each player’s skill set on an individual basis after we lay the foundation.
Core Rule
“See him down and hit a low bullet.”
Up is his win. Below the belt is our damage window.
Acceptable Miss
If you chase a breaker that started on the white and finished down, we live with it.
If you offer at anything above the belt, that’s a miss outside the plan.
Left-Handed Hitters
Hunt:
Rip 4S belt to middle-in
Be on time and on top of the heater
Spit:
Split/change that starts below the thigh
Chase only if it began on the white
Potential Box/Physical Adjustment (up to hitter):
Crowd the plate to shrink away, turn it into the white
Forces his fastball shape back toward damage lanes
starting/staying taller in our posture to help match the plane
Example Feel Cue:
“Belt-high is dead. Down is green.”
Two-Strike:
Shorten
Cover up
Zero chase-up
Right-Handed Hitters
Hunt:
Sinker that leaks back to middle
Down 4-seam (belt to knees)
Spit:
Split/change below the knees
Sliders that start off the plate
Potential Box/Physical Adjustment (up to hitter):
Slightly off the dish to “push out over” and make the inside look more middle.
Protects against top-in ride; keeps barrel moving downhill.
starting/staying taller in our posture to help match the plane
Example Feel Cue:
“Let the 2-seam come back; barrel through the inside seam.”
Two-Strike:
Shorten
Fight top rail (foul off the elevated FF)
Spoil the sweeper below the zone
Summary: Why This System Works
Because hitters don’t need 12 charts.
They need clarity on:
an understanding of what our windows for success are
a definition of acceptable vs. unacceptable misses
and freedom to swing at the right pitches with intent.
In Bryan Woo’s case :
Whiff = UP
Damage = Below Belt
Identity = Ground-ball / low-bullet mindset
Plan = Rip Sinker / Rip 4s in your lane
Follow the template, communicate it clearly, and building game plans becomes repeatable—matchup to matchup. Thanks for reading! What should I cover next?
