Simeon Woods Richardson

Richardson had his first success in the majors last year with a revamped delivery and increased velocity but ran out of gas late in the season. The former top prospect took a big step back at Triple-A in 2023 (4.91 ERA and just a 7.6 K/9) so he worked on adjusting his arm angle from a 12 o'clock release to down a few slots. The change increased his velocity significantly (93.1 mph average fastball from 90.6 mph in 2023). While his velocity is still below average, it was finally sufficient enough at the big leagues to help his off-speed arsenal and his slider became a viable out pitch. He joined the rotation in April when a spot opened and had a 3.27 ERA through his first 17 starts with a 2.5 BB/9. He then struggled with a 5.91 ERA and 4.6 BB/9 in his last 11 starts. He'll compete for a final rotation spot this spring, but will need to limit his walks as he has little margin despite his improved fastball. Read Past Outlooks