Splitters, Swagger, Strikeouts: Lessons Learned From Simeon Woods Richardson’s Breakthrough Start

[Cody Christie]

Image courtesy of © Jesse Johnson-Imagn Images

Facing the Yankees usually serves as a measuring stick for any young pitcher (especially with the word Twins on the front of their jersey). On Monday night at Target Field, Simeon Woods Richardson excelled in a game that meant a lot more to New York than to his own club. Against baseball’s most dangerous offense, the 24-year-old right-hander delivered the finest outing of his career, striking out a career-high 11 batters over six scoreless innings as the Twins cruised to a 7-0 victory.

It was the type of performance that leaves more than a final box score behind. It provided a glimpse of what Woods Richardson is becoming, and why the Twins may be able to count on him moving forward.

Steps Up Game Against Top Competition
Some pitchers wilt when the bright lights shine against baseball’s elite lineups. Woods Richardson seems to get sharper. Monday’s performance continued a trend that has seen him thrive against tough opponents, including the Tigers, Astros, Mariners, Cubs, and now the Yankees, the last of whom lead the majors in runs, home runs, slugging percentage, and walks.

• 9/15/25 (vs. NYY): 6 IP, 0 ER, 2 H, 11 K, 3 BB
• 7/8/25 (vs. CHC): 5 IP, 0 ER, 2 H, 4 K, 3 BB
• 6/26/25 (vs. SEA): 5 IP, 0 ER, 2 H, 6 K, 1 BB
• 6/15/25 (vs. HOU): 5 IP, 0 ER, 1 H, 4 K, 1 BB
• 4/13/25 (vs. DET): 5 IP, 1 ER, 5 H, 5 K, 0 BB

“I’ve always been a competitor,” Woods Richardson said after the game. “I’ve always been one of those guys who wants to face the best, compete against the best. … If I can knock down the powerhouses, it’s like a miniature game that you play with yourself.”

The confidence translated into command and execution. Aside from two walks to Aaron Judge, New York’s hitters rarely threatened him, and maybe those walks were strategic; it's only smart to be careful against the reigning AL MVP.

His Splitter is for Real
Perhaps the biggest revelation of the night was Woods Richardson’s pitch mix. For the first time this season, his splitter became the focal point of his arsenal. He threw it 33 times (36% of his pitches), and it generated eight swinging strikes, a career-high for the offering.

“Me and Jhonny [Pereda, catcher] looked at each other, and he was like, ‘Keep throwing [the splitter],’” Woods Richardson said. “‘Keep throwing it. Have confidence in it.’”

The approach paid off, especially against a power-heavy lineup that hunts fastballs. By leaning less on his four-seamer (just 35% usage) and more on his evolving splitter, Woods Richardson showed how his repertoire is still growing, and how difficult he can be to prepare for. There’s no way the Yankees were expecting to see his splitter that much.

Getting Better Throughout the Game
Manager Rocco Baldelli noted that Woods Richardson set the tone early and sharpened as the game progressed.

“In some ways, he was great early on, but it almost looked like he got even more focused as the game went on,” Baldelli said. “That’s not always an easy thing to do. … You’ve got to make nothing but good pitches, good decisions, and really be at your best. He was at his best tonight, and it was great to watch.”

That ability to sustain command and composure deeper into outings is a key step for any young starter. Woods Richardson pitched into the sixth inning in just four starts this season, and he’s only completed six frames two times. Against the league’s most relentless lineup, though, he proved he can handle that challenge.

What It Means for 2026
The Twins already know who their rotation anchors will be next year: Pablo López, Joe Ryan, and Bailey Ober provide a steady and proven top three. However, there is a possibility that the club explores trades of López or Ryan. The bigger question comes in filling the final two spots, and Woods Richardson is making a strong case to claim one of them.

He’ll face competition from multiple directions. Young pitchers Zebby Matthews and David Festa have shown flashes of potential, while Taj Bradley and Mick Abel (acquired in this summer’s fire sale) add another layer of intrigue. That creates a healthy level of competition for a young staff that could set the tone for the next Twins contender.

Monday’s masterpiece didn’t lock anything in, but it showed why Woods Richardson deserves to be part of that conversation. If he keeps taking steps like this, the Twins may not just have a back-end option; they may have another arm capable of elevating the rotation.

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What stands out about SWR’s performance against the Yankees? Can his splitter be more of a weapon moving forward? Leave a comment and start the discussion. 

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[old nurse]

J.F.C. SWR jest got the Twins Daily this story is not going to age well curse. 

[Russ]

Need to see next start from SWR before speculating.   Most Twins pitchers show no consistency that are positive 

[Twins_Fan_in_NJ]

I want to believe in SWR mostly because of the intangibles that good starting pitchers tend to have. He's confident and he battles. A few of his teammates could take notes. But, still not sure the 'stuff' is there or least consistently enough for him to be more than a 4th / 5th starter. Fingers crossed though because young controllable starting pitching is the Twins best (and only) hope to being somewhat relevant in 2026.

[Doctor Gast]

IMO, SWR has cemented himself into the rotation by who he is. Which is an established competitor, someone who is mature beyond his age, able to adjust during the game, having an understanding of what's around him, untaunted by teams like NYY, humble & able to keep his team in the game. As I've said before, IDK where his ceiling is at. There are some that may have a higher ceiling, but he has proven that he belongs in a winning rotation & stays there until others have established themselves, which they haven't yet.

I'd like to add that Zebby's performance against NYY has proven he's not ready yet. We'll see with Bradley, how he'll pitch against NYY if he's ready.

[JoeMustGo]

Rotation solved! Now if a couple of guys can go 4/4 tonight I guess we'll have the lineup set for 2026 as well. 

[tony&rodney]

Great outing by Woods Richardson. Pitchers have success when they can land their breaking balls and off speed pitches for strikes on the edges. Sim was able to throw strikes which made his splitter tough. He needs more consistency and stamina.

"The Twins already know who their rotation anchors will be next year: Pablo López, Joe Ryan, and Bailey Ober provide a steady and proven top three. However, there is a possibility that the club explores trades of López or Ryan." ... should probably read, there is a possibility that the club explores trades for all three of their proven starters. Yes, the odds are much lower for trading more than one guy but who saw the top five relief pitchers being traded?

[Ricky Vaughn]

One start does not constitute a breakthrough. However I do think he can be a mid rotation starter for this team. Not because he has great stuff but because he seems to be learning how to pitch not just throw, and he believes in himself which is half the battle.

[LambchoP]

I think after our top 3 of Lopez Ryan and Ober, SWR is a number 4. I'd put him above Zebby, Bradley, Abel and Festa at this point 

[ashbury]

3 hours ago, old nurse said:

J.F.C. SWR jest got the Twins Daily this story is not going to age well curse. 

Here's hoping your post does not age well. 😀

[David Maro]

Reality check here,to say Lopez,Ryan and Ober will be in the rotation in 26 is unreal. SWR pitched the best he ever has,but like JJ for the Vikings let's see his next start. When he goes after hitters he looks good,but he also pitches around hitters at times. At times when he gets a lead he comes out and walks the leadoff hitter and gives runs back. 

Last night did show that Zebby is a long way from being ready for the show. That is now 2 starts where he put the game out of reach in the 1st inning. And yes they came back and made a game of it. But really it was over early and they are not going to win games like this.

[jorgenswest]

5 hours ago, Cody Christie said:

• 9/15/25 (vs. NYY): 6 IP, 0 ER, 2 H, 11 K, 3 BB
• 7/8/25 (vs. CHC): 5 IP, 0 ER, 2 H, 4 K, 3 BB
• 6/26/25 (vs. SEA): 5 IP, 0 ER, 2 H, 6 K, 1 BB
• 6/15/25 (vs. HOU): 5 IP, 0 ER, 1 H, 4 K, 1 BB
• 4/13/25 (vs. DET): 5 IP, 1 ER, 5 H, 5 K, 0 BB

Thanks for putting a spotlight on these games.

I don’t care what number starter he is given. Do teams assign starters a number or is that a creation of the media? I do care whether the starter shows qualities of. Pitcher that I would want to start a playoff game. Those 5 games can’t be merely luck. I can for the first time imagine Woods Richardson taking another step next year towards being a pitcher they would start in the playoffs.

[jmlease1]

7 minutes ago, David Maro said:

Reality check here, to say Lopez, Ryan and Ober will be in the rotation in 26 is unreal. SWR pitched the best he ever has, but like JJ for the Vikings let's see his next start. When he goes after hitters he looks good, but he also pitches around hitters at times. At times when he gets a lead he comes out and walks the leadoff hitter and gives runs back. 

Well, Lopez & Ryan should be in the rotation in 2026; it's only because we have the Pohlads in ownership and the fear they're going to mandate a payroll around $80-85M that it's a likely scenario that Pablo & Joe will be sent elsewhere. (Ober has wobbled this season a lot, but based on his track record prior you have to presume he's still in the rotation) Even if you accept the Pohlad leak that they were losing $30M this season on a $140M payroll (and why anyone should accept a Pohlad leak on financials is beyond me), and you presume that they'll be losing more attendance next season (hard to believe anything else after the payroll whack, the trading away of so many players, and the continued presence of the most tone-deaf owners in sports)...they still should be able to sustain a payroll north of $100M, which is plenty doable even keeping Lopez & Ryan.

It should be all doable even with some rebuilding. But expecting that from the Pohlads seems absurd, which is why so many of us expect Pablo & Joe to be traded (bringing the commitments down to like $62M) and then for the tone-deaf owners to try and sell everyone on them "creating" $20-25M in payroll room that fans are supposed to be happy about...while still cutting payroll and ensuring ownership profits come in before the inevitable and owner-driven lockout for 2027.

And if Pablo & Joe go, there's plenty of room for SWR in the rotation. If not, it gets tighter, but I'd have to put him above Festa (out for at least the start of next season and possibly all of it), Matthews (struggling with consistency with only 1 really good outing in a month...against CWS), Bradley (maybe more upside, but has consistency questions), Abel (still needs work to command his pitches), or Morris (hasn't pitched in MLB yet). 

The floor is pretty good with SWR at least. That profiles pretty well for the back end of the rotation.

[Patzky]

2 hours ago, LambchoP said:

I think after our top 3 of Lopez Ryan and Ober, SWR is a number 4. I'd put him above Zebby, Bradley, Abel and Festa at this point 

It's gonna be a lot easier to calculate when we know which if any of our 1 2 and 3 will still be here in March!

[Chembry]

1 hour ago, David Maro said:

Reality check here,to say Lopez,Ryan and Ober will be in the rotation in 26 is unreal. SWR pitched the best he ever has,but like JJ for the Vikings let's see his next start. When he goes after hitters he looks good,but he also pitches around hitters at times. At times when he gets a lead he comes out and walks the leadoff hitter and gives runs back. 

Last night did show that Zebby is a long way from being ready for the show. That is now 2 starts where he put the game out of reach in the 1st inning. And yes they came back and made a game of it. But really it was over early and they are not going to win games like this.

I don't think it's necessarily a given.  Falvey has been on record twice since the trade deadline saying he is looking toward 2026 with a rotation led by Pablo and Ryan.  Here is a direct quote from an article in the Athletic published August 27th:

“I look at a Pablo López- and Joe Ryan-led pitching group,” Falvey said. “With guys like Bailey Ober, Zebby Matthews, David Festa and Simeon Woods Richardson behind, with all of these other young players like Taj Bradley, Mick Abel and a kid named Kendry Rojas, who’s not quite there.”

Link to article: https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/6573800/2025/08/27/twins-starting-pitching-depth-options-2026/

The other was an interview with Darren Wolfson.  That doesn't necessarily mean it won't change and it may very well once the offseason begins and the phone starts ringing.  But I don't believe it's the done deal most assume.

[DocBauer]

Probably going to repeat some of what I said in yesterday's game log, but I was crazily impressed with SWR in that last game. I didn't watch every inning, but he was consistently hitting 94-95 most of the time. The slider and splitter were just NASTY! 

I think we often forget how bizarre Sims' development path was, or the fact that he's still 24yo.

I'm going to agree with others here that I don't believe Ryan and/or Lopez are necessarily on the trading block considering the projected $90-95M payroll the team depending on Larnach's status. Who, I believe, will be moved. Boston called and we listened. Falvey has always been very clear that he will listen. It was erroneously reported there was a deal for Ryan by a reporter. East Coast/Boston reporter IIRC.

SWR has still been growing as a SP. Greatness, or very goodness, doesn't happen overnight all that often. Not all that many years ago Berrios looked borderline awful when he debuted. Matthews has the frame and the control and the good stuff to be successful. This season has really been about a full ML debut and development. So I wouldn't be dismissive regarding him at this point. 

I like some of what I've seen of Bradley. Also very young despite coming to the Twins with 300+ IP. Morris has really been coming on at St Paul the latter portion of the season. And Abel is just way too talented to be dismissive of a couple poor appearances while still working on some changes to his repertoire. 

Depth is only a word until you see it in action. Still, allowing growth and consistency can take a while, IF the Twins enter 2026 with Lopez, Ryan, Ober, SWR, Mathews, Bradley, Abel, and Morris as their top 8 options, I'm feeling really good and optimistic.

That leaves Rojas, Prielipp, Klein and CJ Culpepper as options later in the summer.

I'm not including Raya, Lewis, or Festa as I think all 3 will move to the pen. Each offers some real intrigue there.

*Early, somewhat hopeful, reports are Festa's TOS issue may be minor. It's possible a botox injection and rehab might fix his issue. Beyond that, perhaps only a minor procedure. We'll know more later this month. Keep fingers crossed.

I really appreciate the high performance games that Cody included in the OP. I don't believe it's cherry picking to show great performances against good teams for a 24yo in his 2nd season. It simply shows potential.

Sim needs to put away hitters earlier in counts. More K's help with that. If he can keep that splitter working, and he can keep his velocity between 93-95 consistently, there's room for him to take another step forward. He might have the potential of a #3 rotation arm if he can do that. Only time will show if he's capable of more than that. But that's true of all young starters.

[Doctor Wu]

16 hours ago, Chembry said:

That doesn't necessarily mean it won't change and it may very well once the offseason begins and the phone starts ringing.  But I don't believe it's the done deal most assume.

I agree, There are still too  many variables and uncertain factors with the ownership and front office, so who knows which pitchers will still be around in March. But I still hold out hope that the Twins don't trade either Lopez or Ryan. If we seriously want to contend next season, and I still think that's doable if we can put together a decent bullpen, then we need to keep both of those guys. Sure, we have arms like SWR and Ober, plus Matthews, Bradley and Abel that can step into the rotation, but I'd still feel more confident with Lopez and Ryan with the team.