Pablo López, Joe Ryan, Bailey Ober, Zebby Matthews, Simeon Woods Richardson, Mick Abel, Taj Bradley, David Festa and Kendry Rojas are all Twins starting pitchers who are under contract through at least next season. López, Ryan and Ober may be traded, and Festa may be more suited as a bullpen arm, but it's still a crowded rotation nonetheless.
Twins pitcher Simeon Woods Richardson makes statement with dominant outing against Yankees
If any of the younger pitchers want to be in the 2026 starting rotation, they have to prove they belong. Woods Richardson did just that against the Yankees on Monday night at Target Field, hurling six scoreless innings while collecting a career-high 11 strikeouts and allowing just two hits and three walks en route to earning the win as the Twins defeated the Yankees 7-0.
Simeon Woods Richardson's first career 10-strikeout game! pic.twitter.com/YifT9eejGy
— MLB (@MLB) September 16, 2025
In the victory, Woods Richardson threw 33 splitters, 32 four-seam fastballs, 25 sliders and two curveballs for a total of 92 pitches. Kody Funderburk, Travis Adams and Pierson Ohl each threw a scoreless inning of relief to finish the game.
Simeon Woods-Richardson, Nasty Splitters. ✌️
— Rob Friedman (@PitchingNinja) September 16, 2025
5Ks thru 3 pic.twitter.com/vIL5uLLYG8
Woods Richardson has had a roller coaster of a season. He started the year in the Twins' starting rotation, but was optioned to Triple-A St. Paul on May 15 after starting the year with a 5.02 ERA across eight starts, creating room for Matthews to join the rotation. Then, after López and Matthews landed on the injured list, the Twins recalled Woods Richardson on June 10. After nine outings, Woods Richardson brought his ERA down to 4.24 before landing on the injured list with an illness on Aug. 1, which kept him sidelined until Aug. 27. He has made four starts since his return from the IL.
Overall, Woods Richardson has posted 0.8 fWAR and a 4.31 ERA with a 22% strikeout rate and 10.2% walk rate in 100 1/3 innings this season. He needs to improve his consistency, but his recent outing against the Yankees, who hold the first American League Wild Card spot with an 83-67 record, certainly helps his case to crack the Twins' starting rotation next year.