Woo-Suk Go’s path to the Twins has been anything but straight, but the right-hander may finally be landing in the kind of spot where his stuff can matter right away.
Minnesota claimed the former KBO standout after he triggered an upward mobility clause in his minor-league deal with the Tigers, giving him the right to look for a new opportunity when Detroit wasn’t going to bring him up. That move puts him on track for his first major-league action, and it comes with a real chance to work in a meaningful bullpen role.
The Twins need help there. By FanGraphs’ fWAR, their bullpen sits fifth-worst in baseball, and while Yoendrys Gómez and Andrew Morris have emerged as reliable high-leverage arms, the rest of the group - Taylor Rogers, Travis Adams, Eric Orze, Kody Funderburk, Cody Laweryson, and Marco Raya - has hovered barely above replacement level. Minnesota is clearly hunting for late-inning answers, and Go gives them another arm with some upside.
What makes him interesting is the way he’s been missing bats in the minors this season. After dominating Double-A with a 0.66 ERA, 1.98 FIP, and a 44.9% strikeout rate over 13 2/3 innings, he kept it rolling at Triple-A Toledo with a 1.96 ERA, 2.28 FIP, and a 29.1% strikeout rate across 27 2/3 innings. That’s a sharp contrast to the rough stretch that followed his move from the Padres to the Marlins, when he struggled to settle in and posted a 10.42 ERA in Double-A before a modest rebound at Triple-A.
Go’s journey has been a whirlwind since San Diego signed him to a two-year, $4.5-million contract in early January 2024 as an international free agent from the Korean Baseball Organization. He didn’t make the Padres’ roster, got dealt to Miami in the Luis Arraez trade after just 12 1/3 innings in Double-A, then bounced around the Marlins’ system before being designated for assignment and released in June. He later signed with Detroit, spent 2025 split between High-A and Triple-A, and then took another step forward this year.
The appeal now is pretty clear. Go attacks with a four-seam fastball and cutter, throws strikes, and has produced an above-average 30.2% whiff rate.
The velocity isn’t eye-popping - his four-seamer sits 92-93 most of the time - but he commands it well enough to make the rest of the mix work. His splitter and curveball have both played as bat-missing pitches, and the curve has become a much bigger part of the plan in 2026, jumping from 5.8% usage in 2025 to 19.3% this season.
Opponents have managed only a .163 wOBA against it.
He uses the splitter 7.9% of the time, and that pitch could get more run with the Twins if they want to lean into what’s already been working. There’s still obvious risk here - the first major-league look could go sideways - but Minnesota is betting on the combination of his KBO track record, his improved high-minors performance, and a bullpen that badly needs another arm who can handle leverage.
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