The Minnesota Twins made a risky, but expected move when they designated Simeon Woods Richardson for assignment on May 30. A pitcher with an 0-7 record and a 7.74 ERA in 12 appearances for the Twins this season, Woods Richardson’s time in Minnesota had run out. But at age 25, he was young enough for the Toronto Blue Jays to take a flier and acquire him in exchange for cash considerations last week.
Twins fans knew that trade had the potential to backfire and it did when Woods Richardson made his debut with the Blue Jays on Monday night. Entering the 5-2 loss to the Philadelphia Phillies in the top of the fifth inning, Woods Richardson was brilliant, allowing one hit and striking out three batters with no walks over four scoreless innings.
If you listen closely, you could hear the loud “Of course!” coming from Twins fans. But it also could be an indictment of a franchise whose players and coaches seem to find success when they leave.
Simeon Woods Richardson became the latest former Twin to find success elsewhere
Woods Richardson’s debut looked great in terms of traditional stats. But it was even better according to Baseball Savant. While he didn’t make adjustments to his pitch selection, he saw more success, generating a total of six swings and misses on 48 pitches including three on his four-seam fastball. He also generated two swings and misses on 12 sliders during the outing.
This was a sharp shift from his overall performance this season. While Woods Richardson relies on his four seamer, it generated a 19.0 percent whiff rate that was roughly half of what it was on Monday night. The slider was also watered down in Minnesota, generating a 17.4 percent whiff rate.
Of course, this is nothing new to Twins fans. While the team at the major league level has been spinning its wheels, players seem to get superpowers the moment they head to the minors or a different organization.
Royce Lewis is one example as he played “Home Run Derby” with eight home runs in 13 games after his demotion to Triple-A on May 19. Matt Wallner, who was hitting .167/.259/.292 with four homers in 34 games with the Twins, is hitting .275/.359/.538 with five homers and 15 RBI in 20 games at Triple-A since his demotion last month.
But if you’re looking for an example on the mound, it may be Woods Richardson’s teammate in the Toronto bullpen. Louie Varland was solid for the Twins in his first full season as a reliever, posting a 2.02 ERA with 47 strikeouts and 13 walks in 51 appearances before his trade to Toronto last season. But he’s become the best reliever in baseball east of Mason Miller this season, posting a 0.26 ERA with 45 strikeouts and nine walks in 31 appearances.
Former Twins hitting coach David Popkins is also in Toronto after he was fired after the 2024 season and it’s starting to feel like players either have to go to St. Paul or north of the border to resurrect their career after falling into the malaise at Target Field.
The good news is that it’s one start and Woods Richardson could have capitalized on his chance for a second impression. But with a string of players and coaches finding themselves after leaving Minnesota, it’s a growing concern that could manifest itself in the second half of the season.
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