Twins right-handed pitcher Simeon Woods Richardson ultimately didn't pan out as a starter. After being a solid No. 5 rotation arm the last two seasons, posting a 4.11 ERA with a 21.5% strikeout rate and 9.0% walk rate, Woods Richardson was moved to the bullpen following a rough start to the 2026 season in which he posted an awful 7.71 ERA with a 10.1% strikeout rate, 10.1% walk rate and .330 batting average against in 42 innings across nine starts. It's safe to say that fans have lost trust in Woods Richardson when he's on the mound.
However, there are reasons to believe that Woods Richardson could be an effective reliever. The Twins' rotation is undoubtedly in a better spot without Woods Richardson, and the righty's role change could also improve the bullpen. Woods Richardson has made just two relief appearances thus far, hurling three scoreless innings with two strikeouts while surrendering two hits and two walks.
Two of Woods Richardson's innings as a reliever came against the Chicago White Sox on Monday afternoon. During that outing, the 25-year-old righty's fastball averaged 94.1 mph and reached 95.1 mph, while his season average is 92.6 mph.
Simeon Woods Richardson’s final fastball of the inning was 95.1 mph.
— Ted (@tlschwerz) May 25, 2026
His average this season has been 92.6 mph and career average is 92.9 mph.
Of the more than 5,100 pitches he’s thrown in the majors, just 142 have been 95+.
It was just the 13th pitch he’s thrown 95+ this… pic.twitter.com/kE6Hik0J94
Woods Richardson's Monday outing featured uptick in fastball velo, curveball usage
Ten of Woods Richardson's 35 pitches on Monday were curveballs, which have accounted for just 5.9% of his pitches this season. In 2026, opposing batters have hit above .300 against Woods Richardson's four-seamer, split-finger and slider, but have hit just .125 against his curveball. With Woods Richardson's uptick in fastball velocity and curveball usage, he could be a much-needed effective late-innings arm for Minnesota.
It's also worth noting that despite Woods Richardson's poor ERA as a starter, the righty had a 2.89 ERA the first time through the batting order this season before moving to the bullpen. Granted, opponents slashed .306/.370/.431, but he still got the job done. It was the second and third time through the order when he got in trouble. As a reliever, he will likely never face a hitter more than once in a game.
The Twins' bullpen has already looked much better lately, with Taylor Rogers and Anthony Banda stepping it up, Eric Orze being a solid arm, Yoendrys Gómez looking sharp and young flamethrowers Kendry Rojas and Andrew Morris emerging. It'd be nice if the Twins had more established relievers. However, given how awful the bullpen looked earlier in the season, it's been encouraging to see how it's performed recently. Minnesota's relievers rank 26th in ERA (4.70) this season. But since May 7, they've ranked fourth with a 2.40 ERA. Woods Richardson could play a vital role in continuing the narrative that the Twins' bullpen is much better than most previously thought.
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