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Twins Daily has been counting down the team’s top 20 prospects this week, with multiple players expected to impact the team next season. Simeon Woods Richardson finished just inside the top 20, after pitching most of last season at St. Paul as a 22-year-old. In 113 2/3 innings, he posted a 4.91 ERA with a 1.50 WHIP and a 96-to-61 strikeout-to-walk ratio. His overall numbers were disappointing, but there are reasons for optimism.
On my personal list, I ranked Woods Richardson as the team’s 11th-best prospect, eight spots higher than he finished in the overall rankings. As Seth Stohs wrote on Monday, SWR fared much better in the second half, with a 3.11 ERA and a 1.23 WHIP in just under 67 innings. Those improvements are just the start of why fans should be excited about what he can offer the Twins in 2024.
Reason 1: Stuff+
Tom Froemming recently posted a video (see below) showing that Woods Richardson ranked 10th in Stuff+ among all pitchers at Triple-A, and that included some rehabbing major-league arms. Stuff+ looks at the physical characteristics of a player’s pitches, including release point, velocity, and vertical and horizontal movement. According to FanGraphs, the Stuff+ model attempts to capture the “nastiest” pitches in baseball.
Last season, Woods Richardson sat in the low 90s with his fastball, which he combined with three offspeed offerings. Even with a strong Stuff+, he had a tough time missing bats. For his career, he has averaged 9.9 strikeouts per nine innings in the minors, but last season, his rate dropped to 7.6 with St. Paul. There is hope for his strikeout rate to increase, especially with the characteristics of his other pitches.
Reason 2: Age
Woods Richardson has been aggressively pushed up the organizational ladder since he was a 17-year-old in the Mets organization. He has been over three years younger than the average age of the competition at his level throughout his professional career. During the 2024 season, he faced older batters in 91.9 percent of opponent’s plate appearances, yielding an opponents' line of .261/.350/.426 in 418 at-bats. Over the season’s final months, batters posted a .642 OPS against Woods Richardson, so there were signs of improved performance.
Luck also played a role in his poor performance early in the season. Woods Richardson wasn’t missing enough bats, so more balls were being put in play against him, resulting in higher BABIP totals. From April to June, batters hit .315 against him, with a .369 BABIP. Batters went 49-for-238 (.206 BA) from July to September, with a .240 BABIP. It’s also important to note that CHS Field in St. Paul has favored hitters, which can impact a pitcher’s overall numbers.
Reason 3: Development
Woods Richardson has previously struggled, especially when being pushed to a higher level for the first time. In 2021, he reached Double A and got his head knocked in, with a 5.91 ERA and a 1.54 WHIP across 53 1/3 innings. Minnesota had him repeat that level in 2022, and he had one of his best professional seasons, including pitching well for St. Paul. In 107 1/3 innings across two levels, he posted a 2.77 ERA with a 1.05 WHIP, including 9.6 K/9. It was a tremendous season, putting him back on the map as one of the team’s top pitching prospects.
Throughout his career, SWR has worked on mechanical adjustments to get the most out of his lanky frame. He’s used recent offseasons to refine his strength and conditioning program to better handle the rigors of starting pitching. One of his most significant alterations is using his delivery to be more efficient in his direction to the plate, which can coax extra velocity.
During his strong second half, there were also changes in his pitch usage. Against left-handed hitters, he used his changeup more regularly, and there were times when that pitch gained some greater vertical depth. With righties, he used his slider more often and commanded it better. Walks have haunted him in the past, so his ticket to the big leagues is better command with his fastball, a pitch with some cut, and a higher whiff percentage with his secondary pitches. Pitching development is a non-linear path, and fans should still be hopeful about Woods Richardson.
What improvements will Woods Richardson make next season? What is his ceiling? Leave a COMMENT and start the discussion.
Interested in learning more about the Minnesota Twins' top prospects? Check out our comprehensive top prospects list that includes up-to-date stats, articles and videos about every prospect, scouting reports, and more!
View Twins Top Prospects
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