Simeon Woods Richardson

Richardson improved slightly in his second season in the majors and an increase in strikeouts in the second half could help him solidify a spot in the rotation. Richardson won the fifth starter role in the spring but was sent to Triple-A in May after eight starts with a 5.02 ERA and a 8.5 K/9. He was much improved when called back up in June as he had a 3.56 ERA in nine starts before missing nearly a month due to a parasite in his digestive track. Remarkably, he had maybe the best stretch of his career when he returned with a 3.52 ERA and 11.3 K/9 over his final six starts. Woods Richardson doesn't have great velocity (93.3 mph average fastball) but his strikeout rate increased to a career-best 22.7%. His slider can be a plus pitch when he's on along with a viable curveball that gives him a good pitch mix. He'll try to hold his spot in the rotation this spring. Read Past Outlooks