Twins’ Simeon Woods Richardson Makes Huge Pitching Upgrade to Split

This article traces the career arc of Simeon Woods Richardson, a former Mets draftee who’s now a core piece of the Minnesota Twins’ pitching plans.

From a high-profile trade history to a refined pitch mix and a late-season breakout, Woods Richardson’s journey kind of shows how 25-year-old pitchers can move from uncertainty to credible big-league rotation options. All it takes is some technical tweaks, strength gains, and a good dose of resilience in the clubhouse.

Path to the big leagues: a draft pick, trades, and a second act in Minnesota

Simeon Woods Richardson got picked by New York in 2018, straight out of Texas. He skipped college, signing for $1.85 million even though he went 48th overall.

He didn’t stick with the Mets for long. They traded him to grab Marcus Stroman in 2019, then he moved again when the Blue Jays landed José Berríos in 2021.

Now he’s with the Twins, and he’s already clocked a lot of big-league innings for someone in his mid-20s. Fifty starts over the last two seasons—pretty impressive for a guy still figuring it out.

His career path almost reads like a case study in how a young arm develops when teams keep moving the pieces around. The trades put him in the spotlight early, and by the time he landed in Minnesota, he’d already learned how to handle the pressure that comes with being a young pitcher in different organizations.

What changed in 2025: mechanics, velocity, and pitch mix

By mid-May 2025, Woods Richardson found himself back at Triple-A St. Paul. But honestly, it wasn’t a demotion—more like a chance to sharpen his stuff.

He worked with coaches to turn a shaky changeup into a splitter, and that tweak made a real difference. Suddenly, hitters had a lot more to think about.

He also packed on 15 pounds of muscle in the offseason. That extra strength helped him recover faster, stay strong deeper into games, and put more behind his fastball.

The adjustments started showing up in his late-season numbers. The splitter’s bite kept hitters guessing, and the added muscle let him keep his velocity up even in the later innings.

September surge: evidence of a breakthrough

September was when it all came together. Woods Richardson posted a 2.33 ERA over five starts and struck out 36 batters in 27 innings.

He even threw a gem against the Yankees—six scoreless innings, 11 strikeouts. That kind of outing turns heads, especially when it comes against top-shelf competition.

• September ERA: 2.33 across five starts
• Strikeouts: 36 in 27 innings during that span
• Yankees showcase: six scoreless innings with 11 strikeouts in mid-September

Club context and intangibles: leadership and maturity

But there’s more to Woods Richardson than numbers. Around the clubhouse, his presence just stands out.

Teammate Kody Clemens, also a 2018 draftee and former Texas teammate, points to his maturity and leadership. That’s not nothing, especially in a rotation that mixes young talent with the need for someone steady when the games start to matter more.

With the right blend of talent and temperament, maybe he’s not just a depth piece but a real mid-rotation option for Minnesota. He can help carry the load during those tough stretches, and that’s the kind of pitcher every team hopes to have around.

Outlook: how he fits in behind Joe Ryan and what to watch

The Twins are looking ahead to 2026, and Woods Richardson seems likely to slot in as a mid-rotation starter. Of course, that’s assuming he stays healthy and keeps that splitter working.

If he keeps the splitter sharp and keeps tweaking his cutter-changeup mix, he might just lock down a spot in Minnesota’s rotation for a while. That would give the team a durable arm and a different look for hitters—something you can never have too much of.

 
Here is the source article for this story: Reusse: Twins’ Simeon Woods Richardson, in huge upgrade, ditches “hang” for “split”