Does Simeon Woods Richardson Have a Future With the Twins?

[Guest]

19 hours ago, Mike Sixel said:

I think he's 23 and we don't know yet, but anyone giving up on a 23 year old pitcher probably with his stuff is being premature. He's 23....

Those who can, do; those who can't, teach....   And here we are.

[jmlease1]

I'm still on Team SWR. He didn't have a great year in AAA and didn't take a step forward in 2023, but he's still very talented and has the stuff and pitches to be able to succeed. His biggest issue right now seems to be consistency: he has these stretches where he's a mess, then he puts together a run like he did for the end of the season where you see exactly why he's been a top prospect.

Some of his success comes from having the different release point, which probably makes it a little challenging to tinker with his mechanics. You don't want to get away from that release that gives him deception and difference. If they can incorporate his legs a little better, add a little more velocity, that could give him a little more room to execute and might help him be more consistent? 

I think 2024 is going to be an important year for SWR because he's likely to get an opportunity in MLB if he's healthy and pitching well. How he responds to that placement will show some things about his development and potential. Right now he's probably 6th or 7th on the starter depth chart (I think 7th behind Festa right now, but he also could easily be the first call up from AAA, assuming Varland is in the MLB rotation or bullpen from the jump). I was expecting him to throw more in MLB in 2023, mostly because I figured the Twins would need more starters, but the reality was they didn't really need him. I think they will in 2024, and I think he can do the job.

[Squirrel]

1 hour ago, Minderbinder said:

Those who can, do; those who can't, teach....   And here we are.

That actually says nothing. Why don’t you try an actual rebuttal using a little bit of fact and data? If you don’t like him, then bring something legitimate to the discussion. And all great people had great teachers, so let’s not be putting down teachers which is what your post did.

[Trov]

I did not watch him pitch in AAA at all.  It is interesting the amount of walks he gave up but so few hits. He started off very terrible then after a stint in IL he came back better, but still not amazing.  I am wondering if the robo ump was hurting him with some boarderline pitches that did not go his way, but could at MLB level, or was he just way out of the zone?  

If he does keep walking guys at high rates though he will not be starting too much because he will get pulled after 3 to 4 innings all the time. 

[DJL44]

28 minutes ago, Trov said:

I did not watch him pitch in AAA at all.  It is interesting the amount of walks he gave up but so few hits. He started off very terrible then after a stint in IL he came back better, but still not amazing.  I am wondering if the robo ump was hurting him with some boarderline pitches that did not go his way, but could at MLB level, or was he just way out of the zone?  

If he does keep walking guys at high rates though he will not be starting too much because he will get pulled after 3 to 4 innings all the time. 

The AAA robot strike zone was noted to be narrower than the actual rule book zone. It didn't call strikes on the black of the plate. That probably hurt W-R. With his velocity he needs to live on the edge of the zone to be successful.

[jorgenswest]

5 hours ago, Trov said:

I did not watch him pitch in AAA at all.  It is interesting the amount of walks he gave up but so few hits. He started off very terrible then after a stint in IL he came back better, but still not amazing.  I am wondering if the robo ump was hurting him with some boarderline pitches that did not go his way, but could at MLB level, or was he just way out of the zone?  

If he does keep walking guys at high rates though he will not be starting too much because he will get pulled after 3 to 4 innings all the time. 

His walk rate was right at league average. Walks increased 20% last year in the IL last year. That is 45% than the major league BB/9. Walks per 9 in the AL has stayed about the same from 2018 (3.2 to 3.3). In the international league the rate wen from 3.3 to 4.8 in the last 5 years.

The change in walk rate not only impacts walks but it results in pitchers working behind in counts and needing to give batters better pitches to hit. Our perception of performance has changed to the point where it appears the Twins having many good hitting prospects in AAA and few if any pitching prospects. 

[Vanimal46]

12 minutes ago, jorgenswest said:

His walk rate was right at league average. Walks increased 20% last year in the IL last year. That is 45% than the major league BB/9. Walks per 9 in the AL has stayed about the same from 2018 (3.2 to 3.3). In the international league the rate wen from 3.3 to 4.8 in the last 5 years.

The change in walk rate not only impacts walks but it results in pitchers working behind in counts and needing to give batters better pitches to hit. Our perception of performance has changed to the point where it appears the Twins having many good hitting prospects in AAA and few if any pitching prospects. 

Thank you for providing the perspective. The IL environment was heavily weighted towards offense, so SWR and other pitching prospects aren’t going to have the appealing stat line we seek. 

[stringer bell]

I think it is important to remember both Woods Richardson's relative youth (played all last year at age 22) and the offensive environment that was the International League last year, particularly St. Paul. 

It is possible that SWR might need to tweak his mechanics a bit to get more velocity and movement, but there's still a decent chance that he will develop into a good or better than good starting pitcher. If that doesn't come to pass, a move to the bullpen might be the next move. IMHO there's still a lot of hope for Woods Richardson and it is far too early to give up or move on from him.