Woo, Rodríguez and Muñoz set to join Raleigh as AL All-Star reserves

July 7th, 2025

SEATTLE -- has taken the city of Seattle and the wider baseball world by storm with one of the most homer-happy first halves ever -- to the point that when he spoke to his teammates after being named the AL’s starting catcher in the All-Star Game, his first point of business was to apologize for the hullabaloo.

Now, Mariners fans know that he won’t be the only one representing Seattle at Truist Park on July 15. , and will be there as well, after being named reserves for the American League ahead of Seattle’s series finale against the Pirates on Sunday.

“It’s really cool that Cal will have company,” said manager Dan Wilson, who himself represented the Mariners in the 1996 Midsummer Classic. “Having teammates there makes it all the more special to be a part of that experience. I’m really happy for all four of them.”

Seattle’s four All-Stars are tied with Detroit for second-most in the league, trailing only the Dodgers. It’s the first time the Mariners have had four representatives since 2018, and the first time they’ve had four All-Stars all aged 28 or younger.

Woo, like his old roommate Raleigh, will be making his first All-Star Game. Flying a bit in his backstop’s shadow, the right-hander has become arguably the most consistent starter in baseball, posting at least six innings and allowing two walks or fewer in all 17 of his starts. If he hits that mark again on Thursday at Yankee Stadium, he’ll set a new record for pitchers under 30 years of age.

In 107 1/3 innings, Woo has struck out 104 batters and walked just 19. His 2.77 ERA is the eighth-best by a Seattle starter in the first half (min. 15 starts) in club history, and his 0.96 WHIP is fourth, behind just Logan Gilbert (0.80 in ‘24), Felix Hernandez (0.90 in ‘14) and Hisashi Iwakuma (0.94 in ‘13).

Woo’s always had good stuff. His 1.04 ERA across his first six starts to begin last season was the lowest in franchise history. But that sixth start came on June 6. Between multiple injuries, he made just nine starts before the break, and seven of his first 10 starts ended before the sixth inning.

Over the summer, that changed. Between a red-hot end of ‘24 and a steady beginning to ‘25, Woo has turned into an anchor for the Mariners with Logan Gilbert, George Kirby and Bryce Miller all dealing with injuries in the first half.

“When he gets out on that mound, he goes to a different level and gets locked in,” Wilson said. “He competes, and we’ve seen that time and time again. His consistency has been incredible, and I think his mental approach, too, it has been a big reason why.”

Since last Aug. 1, Woo’s thrown 175 innings, tied for fifth-most in baseball. His 19 quality starts rank second in the American League, behind only Hunter Brown.

“I think it’s just the growth,” Woo said. “I’ve been able to learn a lot about myself and what I need to be successful and the consistency that that requires.”

Joining the two newcomers, Seattle will have two returners in Atlanta.

Rodríguez, who made it as a rookie in 2022 and again in ‘23, becomes the sixth active player to make three All-Star Games in his first four seasons, and the first since Francisco Lindor.

Rodríguez’s .256 batting average and his .722 OPS through the end of June were his highest clips since his Rookie of the Year season in ‘22, while his 78 strikeouts are a significant drop.

The 24-year-old hit 10 home runs in his first 56 games. In June, the power numbers dropped in favor of a .289 average with 33 total hits -- his second-most in a month since the beginning of last season.

Meanwhile, he’s putting up the same incredible defensive metrics in center field that fans in Seattle have become accustomed to, all accumulating to a 3.4 bWAR that ranks second among AL center fielders.

Muñoz will be making his second consecutive Midsummer Classic, becoming the second Seattle reliever to be selected multiple times, joining Kazuhiro Sasaki (2001-02).

Muñoz’s 1.06 ERA through 35 appearances ranks tops in the American League (min. 30 IP). The flamethrower racked up saves in 17 of Seattle’s first 29 wins, before June saw his opportunities limited by a lack of close games, but his 21 saves still rank fifth in the AL.

One of his most impressive saves may have come on Saturday, when he whizzed through back-to-back three-pitch strikeouts before inducing a flyout to seal Seattle’s 1-0 win.

“It was great to see that,” Wilson said. “It’s been a weird cycle here where he hasn’t gotten out there as much, and it hasn’t been as consistent on the mound for him in terms of appearances, but last night he looked like he hadn’t missed a beat.”

Last season, Muñoz didn’t get to pitch in the actual game. This time around, there’s a good chance Seattle fans will get to see one of their own on the hill, possibly even throwing to their star catcher.