The Minnesota Twins Were Rostering MLB's Worst Position Player and Starting Pitcher Before Matt Wallner's Demotion

[Cody Schoenmann]

43 games into the 2026 MLB regular season, multiple Minnesota Twins position players are overperforming preseason expectations. Byron Buxton is tied for the third-most home runs in baseball with 15 alongside Chicago White Sox rookie Munetaka Murakami. Ryan Jeffers is on track to earn his first All-Star nod. Austin Martin is reaching base roughly 45% of his plate appearances and Brooks Lee appears to have finally developed into an above-average regular.

 

There have been numerous success stories on the mound, too. Mick Abel and Taj Bradley look like stalwarts atop future Twins rotations. Connor Prielipp has impressed in his first cup of coffee in the majors and Joe Ryan continues to pitch like a Top-20 starting pitcher in the sport. Despite the aforementioned positive early-season surprises, Minnesota has a 19-24 record, leaving the club with an uninspiring 21.8% chance of making the playoffs, according to FanGraphs. A significant portion of the club’s early-season struggles can be attributed to them fielding the fifth-worst bullpen in baseball, according to Wins Above Replacement at FanGraphs (fWAR).

 

Despite the Twins having one of the worst bullpen collectives in the sport, specific position players and starting pitchers have also played key roles in dragging the club down over the first two months of the season. Interestingly, however, no two players have made a greater negative impact than outfielder Matt Wallner and starting pitcher Simeon Woods Richardson.

 

Wallner, 28, entered the 2026 regular season expected to be the club’s full-time right fielder, netting most starts against right- and left-handed starters. Through 135 plate appearances, however, the left-handed hitting corner outfielder hit .167/.259/.292 with a 58 wRC+. Wallner also struck out 39.3% of the time while producing minimal damage upon contact, evidenced by the expected slugger netting only four home runs and a below-average .125 Isolated Power (ISO). As a result, Wallner possesses the 10th-lowest wRC+ of all qualified hitters. At the same time, he generated the second-lowest fWAR (-0.8) among qualified position players in the sport, with only Tampa Bay Rays centerfielder Cedric Mullins residing below him.

 

The Southern Miss product was also one of the worst fielders in baseball, with him netting -4.9 Defensive Runs Above Average (DEF) and -8 Defensive Runs Saved (DRS) over 284 innings played in right field this season. As a result, Wallner manufactured the fourth-lowest DEF in baseball, slotting in above only Junior Caminero, Jake Bauers, and Bryce Harper. He’s also tied for the lowest DRS in the sport alongside Oneil Cruz. Unsurprisingly, he's also tied with Kerry Carpenter, Luke Raley, and James Wood for the second-worst Outs Above Average (OAA) in right field this season, with -3.  Given that Wallner is inarguably a bottom-ten hitter and bottom-five fielder in the sport, it is not hyperbolic to opine that he regressed into the worst position player in baseball. In response, the Twins optioned him to Triple-A St. Paul early Thursday morning.

 

As mentioned earlier, Woods Richardson hasn’t been much better on the mound. Among starting pitchers with at least 40 innings pitched, Woods Richardson has the highest ERA in the sport, coming in at 7.71. He also sports the fourth-highest FIP (6.51) and second-lowest Skill Interactive ERA (SIERA), coming in at 5.91 . To add on, the 25-year-old is tied with Washington Nationals starting pitcher Zack Littell for the lowest strikeout rate (10.1%) among starting pitchers with at least 40 innings pitched and the 10th-worst hard hit rate (40.4%). Woods Richardson has served the ball on a silver platter to hitters over 42 innings, and they are unsurprisingly excelling.

 

Unsurprisingly, Woods Richardson’s arsenal grades out very, very poorly. According to Run Value at Baseball Savant, Woods Richardson has the worst splitter in baseball, with the pitch netting a -13 run value over 206 pitches thrown. He also possesses the worst slider among starting pitchers, with the pitch netting a -6 run value over 178 pitches thrown. On a positive note, his fastball has been serviceable, generating 0 run value over 323 pitches. Still, the former top prospect’s pitches have been abysmal this season, making his poor start to the season unsurprising (Author’s note: I’m not having fun writing this article. I’ve been frowning like Florence Pugh in Midsommar for 20 minutes now).

 

Given his inability to suppress runs and poor pitch grade, it would not be hyperbolic to opine that Woods Richardson is the worst starting pitcher in baseball. Again, many factors have played into Minnesota’s slow start to the season. Still, no two players have been more consequential than Wallner and Woods Richardson.

 

With Martin and Trevor Larnach performing well as the new primary corner outfielders and Walker Jenkins, Emmanuel Rodriguez, Gabriel Gonzalez, Hendry Mendez, and Alan Roden waiting in the wings at Triple-A St. Paul, Wallner may never play for the Twins again. Woods Richardson’s days in the rotation are numbered if he is unable to quickly change course, given Bradley, Abel, Ryan, and Prielipp’s aforementioned early-season success and Kendry Rojas, Zebby Matthews, Ryan Gallagher, and others awaiting extended opportunities in the rotation. Minnesota is transitioning to a new era. Unfortunately, it appears as though Wallner and Woods Richardson won’t be part of it.

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[Richie the Rally Goat]

Thoroughly depressing Cody. 25% of the season before the first roster move was made on a 13 man hitting staff that has only had 14 players in the season up until today.

[Blyleven2011]

Wallner ; 

The eye test tells me everything I need to know , not a good fielder and he's lost at the plate ...

If he returns to at least an average hitter to the twins it should be as a DH  ...

SWR is off to a terrible start and again my eyes tell me this  , hes never been a pitcher that pitches more than 5 innings and  this year it's less  ...

SWR will be in the starting rotation a few more turns and then fill in the blank ______ , he's out of options , no value in a trade  ...

[ziggy]

I like that they waited until mid May to send Wallner to St Paul.  He can not grumble that he did not have a fair chance to turn his season around.

I can't see SWR suddenly improving. Opposing hitters are sitting on a breaking ball and mashing it. He is out of options and does not have bullpen quality pitches so a very hard conversation will have to be had unless he suddenly has to go to the IL.

Lewis is next up for 'the conversation'.

[MMMordabito]

9 minutes ago, ziggy said:

I can't see SWR suddenly improving. Opposing hitters are sitting on a breaking ball and mashing it. He is out of options and does not have bullpen quality pitches so a very hard conversation will have to be had unless he suddenly has to go to the IL.

There appear to be a lot of pitchers in the current bullpen that don't have bullpen quality pitches either, so he should at least be given an opportunity to outrun the other guys while he's young and controlled. He doesn't need to outrun the bear just yet.

[HerbieFan]

Seriously.....how are there four bullpens worse than the Twins??

[MMMordabito]

Nice raw roster review. I like it.

[HerbieFan]

By June 15 could we see Emma Rodriguez in RF, Kaelen Culpepper at SS and Brooks Lee at 3B??  

[arby58]

3 minutes ago, HerbieFan said:

By June 15 could we see Emma Rodriguez in RF, Kaelen Culpepper at SS and Brooks Lee at 3B??  

Emma has to be healthy first. I still think it's the All Star break for significant changes.

Whatever you do with SWR, he needs to be out of the rotation, and Zebby deserves another few starts.

[Rosterman]

Will they give SWR time to jell in a bullpen role. You can't send him down to the minors. It is a change. It could take all this season to adapt with disasterous results. But I always say there is room in the bullpen for a guy to pitch in blowout games to save a bullpen. 

Just like you can afford to carry one guy playing regularly hitting below the Mendoza-line, as someone has to make 27 outs in a lineup. And hopefully that guy is batting last. But besides Wallner, the Twins also have Lewis stinkin' up the plate, Outman being the ultimate guy set as late-inning play in center or a pinch runner. Plus the $15m tandem of Bell & Caratini flaying away and Clemens and Keaschall playing like bench guys you carry just to give them experience, although one could be replaced easily next season by a minor league guy (Fedko) and the other could probably use a tune-up at AAA as well as a decision made on where to play the guy longer term than this season.

 

Still waiting to see what happens if and when the Twins need to add Abel, Bradley, Sands, Lawyerson, Acton into the pitching mix, where would Matthews go in this situation, and will Rojas return to St. Paul to be groomed as a rotation arm. When you look at the pen... Garcia, Topa, Banda easily have no busness of hanging arpound, Morris (like Adams) can go back and try harder at AAA in a decided role (long or short relief). And Funderburk still has to stay in the mix.

[Fred]

I said, as the season started, that I wanted Larnach gone, but I wanted a final look at Wallner. I've seen enough. It's nice of Larnach to show other clubs that he can handle a platoon job against righties. They might just get more for him than I expected. I still don't want him blocking promotions from AAA, however. Remember the trio, Kirilloff, Larnach, and Wallner? It looked good at the time; what a disappointment!

[arby58]

1 hour ago, Rosterman said:

Will they give SWR time to jell in a bullpen role. You can't send him down to the minors. It is a change. It could take all this season to adapt with disasterous results. But I always say there is room in the bullpen for a guy to pitch in blowout games to save a bullpen. 

Just like you can afford to carry one guy playing regularly hitting below the Mendoza-line, as someone has to make 27 outs in a lineup. And hopefully that guy is batting last. But besides Wallner, the Twins also have Lewis stinkin' up the plate, Outman being the ultimate guy set as late-inning play in center or a pinch runner. Plus the $15m tandem of Bell & Caratini flaying away and Clemens and Keaschall playing like bench guys you carry just to give them experience, although one could be replaced easily next season by a minor league guy (Fedko) and the other could probably use a tune-up at AAA as well as a decision made on where to play the guy longer term than this season.

The offense isn't the problem. They are tied for 8th in runs scored. So all the position players you complain about are still resulting in an offense that is better than nearly every team in baseball. I think we sometimes forget that the average player is 'flalying away' on 75% of his at bats.

The problems are the bullpen, one starting pitcher, and defense.

[AlLagoon]

SWR has been a decent bottom of the rotation starter the last 2 seasons: over 100 IP, more IP than hits allowed, nearly a strikeout an inning, ERAs in the low 4s, WHIP around 1.2. That's 2024 and 2025.

Something is clearly wrong this year, but he's been a reliable 4-5 starter.

Please don't make him out to be garbage.

He's about the same age as Prielipp and Bradley, younger than Festa or Matthews. 

Apart from Bradley, he's done more than all of them in MLB.

[DataNerd]

As bad as he's been, Wallner is only tied for 2nd worst position players amongst fWAR.  Cedric Mullins (.150/.204/.228) ranks the worst, and Ke'Bryan Hayes (.136/.191/.223) is tied with Wallner (.167/.259/.292) due to solid defense and 25 less PAs.

[Nshore]

If the injury prone E-Rod is ever dumb enough to slide head first while running to first base again, he should be banished to Siberia for a year to play baseball by himself.

If Wallner starts hitting again at AAA, I hope they trade him rather than bring him back up.

[ToddlerHarmon]

Even without SWR, the Twins have a young starting staff. That seems to make long relief a role we will need, and one SWR might be well suited for, if he can regain his mojo. For both players, this plummet smells of playing through injuries for whatever reason

[mickster]

8 hours ago, Rosterman said:

Will they give SWR time to jell in a bullpen role. You can't send him down to the minors. It is a change. It could take all this season to adapt with disasterous results. But I always say there is room in the bullpen for a guy to pitch in blowout games to save a bullpen. 

Just like you can afford to carry one guy playing regularly hitting below the Mendoza-line, as someone has to make 27 outs in a lineup. And hopefully that guy is batting last. But besides Wallner, the Twins also have Lewis stinkin' up the plate, Outman being the ultimate guy set as late-inning play in center or a pinch runner. Plus the $15m tandem of Bell & Caratini flaying away and Clemens and Keaschall playing like bench guys you carry just to give them experience, although one could be replaced easily next season by a minor league guy (Fedko) and the other could probably use a tune-up at AAA as well as a decision made on where to play the guy longer term than this season.

 

Still waiting to see what happens if and when the Twins need to add Abel, Bradley, Sands, Lawyerson, Acton into the pitching mix, where would Matthews go in this situation, and will Rojas return to St. Paul to be groomed as a rotation arm. When you look at the pen... Garcia, Topa, Banda easily have no busness of hanging arpound, Morris (like Adams) can go back and try harder at AAA in a decided role (long or short relief). And Funderburk still has to stay in the mix.

Rojas goes back to St. Paul soon, just not ready.   I would like to see Funderburk back up for him, but he walks too many as well.  SWR is one I have always liked, but he is hurting us now.   Only option is to move to a swingman in the BP.  Trade value is zero.

[mickster]

6 hours ago, Nshore said:

If the injury prone E-Rod is ever dumb enough to slide head first while running to first base again, he should be banished to Siberia for a year to play baseball by himself.

If Wallner starts hitting again at AAA, I hope they trade him rather than bring him back up.

If that happens can we dump him and Lewis to Toronto for Varland................LOL

[Bangkok Twins Fan]

11 hours ago, ziggy said:

Lewis is next up for 'the conversation'.

You beat me to it. Something has to happen soon, right?

[ziggy]

15 minutes ago, Bangkok Twins Fan said:

You beat me to it. Something has to happen soon, right?

Not soon. Potential is the word here. He has a ton of it so they may give him all season long to find it by platooning him and giving him the best matchups to find himself and some confidence.

[Bangkok Twins Fan]

2 minutes ago, ziggy said:

Not soon. Potential is the word here. He has a ton of it so they may give him all season long to find it by platooning him and giving him the best matchups to find himself and some confidence.

I hope you are right. He certainly needs more production to boost his confidence, but what is the best way to get it done? Who would have thought that Royce Lewis would be batting 9th in the order at this point in his career? 

[Fire Dan Gladden]

10 hours ago, arby58 said:

The offense isn't the problem. They are tied for 8th in runs scored. So all the position players you complain about are still resulting in an offense that is better than nearly every team in baseball. I think we sometimes forget that the average player is 'flalying away' on 75% of his at bats.

The problems are the bullpen, one starting pitcher, and defense.

I know this thread isn't the time or place, put there needs to be a discussion about where this team really stands. What is shocking to me is that if injuries weren't so prevalent, this team could be a legit playoff contender. We are a quarter of the way through the season. Even with a horrendous bullpen, a number of impactful injuries and IL stints, and a third of the lineup massively underperforming, they are still only 3.5 games out of first place. I get that it probably says more about everyone else, but it doesn't matter. They are where they are.

The top of the lineup has been very good. The SP has been solid. If a couple of BP guys became reliable, who knows where this team could end up.

[mluebker]

4 hours ago, ziggy said:

Potential is the word here.

But it also seems to be a red flag with guys who’ve been around for 2-3 years and keep underperforming. They keep getting second and third chances because of that magic word, continue to disappoint, and still have people making a case to give them more chances when they’ve pretty much shown us who they are and what they can do. 

[Trov]

Wallner may still have a chance if he figures things out in AAA.  He still has light tower power, if he can hit the ball, but clearly he needs to adjust.  SWR, I think will be shifted to the long relief type roll and give Matthews another start.  I would not DFA SWR yet, simply because we have a lot of injuries to our starters as is.  Sure, he may be the worse of them, but if maybe he can get some innings in the pen and a spot start here or there that could be good. 

[RpR]

4 hours ago, Bangkok Twins Fan said:

I hope you are right. He certainly needs more production to boost his confidence, but what is the best way to get it done? Who would have thought that Royce Lewis would be batting 9th in the order at this point in his career? 

People who believe hype is actually based on reality.

[RpR]

5 hours ago, ziggy said:

Not soon. Potential is the word here. He has a ton of it so they may give him all season long to find it by platooning him and giving him the best matchups to find himself and some confidence.

Every player who ever starts a Major League, or even AAA,  game has a lot of potential.  Sadly, potential and actuality are far, far apart.

[minman1982]

Given how bad some of the pitchers out of the bullpen have been, is it worth letting SWR try to come out of the bullpen? I have seen enough over the last few seasons to tell you that he is a fringe 5th SP at best. Sometimes the starters that don't work out become serviceable relievers. 

[Mahoning]

Cal Raleigh is almost as bad as Wallner right now. Baseball can be hard to figure. Wallner and Simeon seem to be good guys, so you have to feel for them. But they are hurting the team and team comes first.

[Linus]

Obviously Wallner was a black hole but the Twins have plenty of those. Here would be an interesting query: where does the Twins infield rank for offensive production?  Or worse yet, corner infield infield production?  

[Fatbat]

Since we have plenty of young players with options, we might as well lean into that potential. See what shakes out this season!