A lot of us have been focused on what Twins pitcher Simeon Woods Richardson doesn’t do. In today’s 10 things to know, Michael Rand argues there needs to be a shift.

By Michael Rand

The Minnesota Star Tribune

July 10, 2025 at 4:07PM

Minnesota Twins starting pitcher Simeon Woods Richardson has been tremendous lately. (Jeff Wheeler/The Minnesota Star Tribune)

Simeon Woods Richardson has made 41 starts for the Twins since the start of the 2024 season, compiling a 10-9 record and a 4.14 ERA during that span.

Those are numbers that suggest a baseline functionality but not excellence. His advanced pitch quality stats are worse.

A typical Woods Richardson start will last just five innings, meaning he (and more so the Twins’ plan for him) puts a strain on the team’s bullpen.

And because of all those things, I get highly skeptical the Twins will win every time I see his name in the “pitching probables” section of their schedule.

What I am slowly coming to realize, though, is that maybe this is my problem and not Woods Richardson’s problem.

That is to say: My default, one shared by plenty of other Twins observers, is to focus in on everything Woods Richardson is not.

Maybe it’s time to think differently, as La Velle E. Neal III and I talked about on Thursday’s Daily Delivery podcast.

Woods Richardson doesn’t have overpowering stuff?

Maybe it doesn’t matter if his pitch mix and command are enough to consistently get hitters out.

Woods Richardson rarely pitches more than five innings and isn’t allowed to see a lineup a third time because that’s when batters start to figure him out?

Maybe it doesn’t matter if the five innings are really good ones, as they have been lately. Consider this: In four of his last five starts, SWR has thrown five innings and allowed two hits or fewer while giving up one total run.

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Could he be allowed to work deeper into games sometimes, given that he was lifted after 53 and 61 pitches and five shutout innings in two of his last five starts?

Sure, but it’s also OK to get the most out of him and know his limitations (even if his numbers facing a team a lineup a third time are actually pretty decent). It made sense after 61 pitches Tuesday, for instance, with the Twins holding a slim 2-0 lead and the bullpen fully rested after a Monday off day.

Is unlikely that he ever becomes more than a back-end-of-the-rotation pitcher?

Quite possibly, but there’s also something to be said for pitchers in those spots who consistently give a team a chance to win.

Anyway, I’m going to try to look at Woods Richardson with fresh eyes and fewer preconceived notions for the rest of this season.

Here are nine more things to know today:

The Twins beat the Cubs 4-2 behind five-plus good innings from David Festa and enough early offense.
The big story Wednesday was Byron Buxton, who left the game early after being hit on the hand with a pitch. As everyone held their breath and figured it would be just the Twins’ (and Buxton’s luck) to lose him for a long stretch, word came out that it wasn’t a broken bone and Buxton is only expected to be out day-to-day.
Buxton isn’t in the lineup for Thursday’s day game as the Twins go for a sweep of the first-place Cubs, but that isn’t a surprise.
Another good sign from Wednesday’s win: Carlos Correa, Matt Wallner and Royce Lewis went a combined 5-for-11 with two RBI and two runs scored. Those three players are absolutely vital to any offensive turnaround the Twins might muster the rest of the season.
La Velle and I also debated the ceiling of second-year Wolves player Terrence Shannon Jr., who figures to be an important part of next year’s rotation. He begins play in the Summer League on Thursday, and La Velle wrote about him.
The Lynx lost, but they don’t have much time to think about it. They play again this afternoon in Los Angeles.
The budget numbers over at the University of Minnesota seem ominous: 7% budget cuts in academic programs, a 6.5% tuition increase and now nearly $9 million in deficit in athletic revenue vs. spending for the upcoming year.
Star Tribune columnist Chip Scoggins will join me on Friday’s podcast to break down that Gophers athletic department math.
I’m sorry, Devin Booker got how much money?

about the writer

Michael Rand

Columnist / Reporter

Michael Rand is the Minnesota Star Tribune's Digital Sports Senior Writer and host/creator of the Daily Delivery podcast. In 25 years covering Minnesota sports at the Minnesota Star Tribune, he has seen just about everything (except, of course, a Vikings Super Bowl).