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Signed to a two-year, $4.5-million contract by the San Diego Padres in early January 2024 as an international free agent coming from the Korean Baseball Organization (KBO), Woo-Suk Go has come nowhere near sticking in any one place for two years. He didn't make the Padres' roster that spring. After only 12 1/3 innings for San Diego’s Double-A affiliate, Go was thrown into the deal that sent Luis Arraez to the Padres—making the Korean righty a new member of the Marlins.
Unsurprisingly, Go struggled to adjust to life in the minors and to a rapid change in employer. He posted a 10.42 ERA, a 5.52 FIP, and a 23-to-11 strikeout-to-walk ratio over 19 innings pitched for Miami’s Double-A affiliate. Yet, given Go’s unique contractual circumstance, Miami elected to promote him to Triple-A, where things actually did get (a little) better. For Jacksonville, he generated a 4.29 ERA, a 6.00 FIP, and a 14-to-7 strikeout-to-walk ratio. But he didn't find real traction. The following spring, Go bounced between Miami’s complex league, Low-A, High-A, and Triple-A affiliates before getting designated for assignment in June and subsequently released.
The right-handed reliever signed a minor-league contract with the Detroit Tigers, and he threw a combined 27 innings between the organization’s High-A and Triple-A clubs down the stretch in 2025. He and the Tigers saw enough in one another to rendezvous on a minor-league deal this winter, though, and now, he might have really turned a corner. Go began his 2026 campaign dominating over 13 2/3 innings pitched (0.66 ERA, 1.98 FIP, 44.9% strikeout rate) for Detroit’s Double-A affiliate, before earning a promotion to Triple-A Toledo in early May. The former KBO star has continued his dominance at the highest minor-league level, posting a 1.96 ERA, 2.28 FIP, and a 29.1% strikeout rate over 27 2/3 innings.
That minor-league deal included an upward mobility clause, whereby at certain points in the season, Go had the right to seek a change of scenery if the Tigers were unwilling to promote him to the majors. At the latest of those checkpoints, he exercised that right, and the Twins snapped him up. Though this will be the first time Go actually pitches in the major leagues, he's likely to land in a pretty secure role with the Minnesota pen.
In fact, Go has a chance to quickly insert himself as a high-leverage reliever for the Twins, who currently have the fifth-worst bullpen in baseball, according to Wins Above Replacement at FanGraphs (fWAR). Despite having one of the worst relief units in the sport, Minnesota has produced two developmental success stories, highlighted by Yoendrys Gómez’s and Andrew Morris’s ascent to reliable, high-leverage arms. Unfortunately, the sextet of Taylor Rogers, Travis Adams, Eric Orze, Kody Funderburk, Cody Laweryson, and Marco Raya has barely performed above replacement level, as a group.
Having one of the least effective relief corps in baseball, Minnesota is aggressively looking for late-inning arms to slot in alongside Morris and Gomez. Go’s aggressiveness on the mound could be a driving factor in him earning a high-leverage relief role with the Twins. Primarily relying on his four-seam fastball and cutter, the former LG Twin has attacked hitters in the strike zone with his fastball variants. More importantly, he's getting hitters to swing and miss on pitches in the zone, as evidenced by an above-average 30.2% whiff rate. He doesn't throw very hard, especially for a reliever, sitting 92-93 with his four-seamer most of the time. However, he commands the hard stuff well, and his splitter and curveball have become bat-missing weapons.
Go has also relied on curve more often in 2026, raising his usage rate from 5.8% in 2025 to 19.3% this season. Despite hovering around 80 MPH, it has become a real out pitch, evidenced by opposing batters generating a measly .163 wOBA against it. Again, Go’s lack of fastball velocity is a concern. Yet, if he can continue locating his four-seam and cutter up in the zone while utilizing his curve as a true out pitch, Go’s three-pitch mix could guide him toward sustained success in the majors.
He also leans on his splitter 7.9% of the time. The righty could ramp up his splitter usage with Minnesota, considering it has generated plus results similar to his curve. Go could struggle during his first cup of coffee in the majors, quickly working his way out of the Twins bullpen. Yet, given his history of being one of the best relievers in the KBO for multiple seasons; his plus performance and improved stuff in the high minors this season; and Minnesota’s glaring need for plus bullpen arms, Go could quickly earn a high-leverage role in the club’s shaky bullpen if the improvements he's made this year translate to the bigs.
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