Twins starters close out 2025 by providing hope for '26

PHILADELPHIA -- One week does not wipe out the past six months. But for the Twins, the final week of the regular season may make the next six months feel a little more hopeful.

Simeon Woods Richardson closed out a brilliant week of starting pitching for Minnesota with six scoreless innings on Sunday against one of baseball’s best teams. And though the Twins lost to the Phillies, 2-1, in 10 innings in their 2025 season finale, it’s hard not to take a bit of optimism from how their rotation fared over a season-ending road trip against two contending clubs.

Six starters, all of whom currently project to be part of the mix next spring, took the mound on the trip. Every one of them turned in an exemplary outing, and Woods Richardson may have looked the best of any of them.

“They all went out there and gave just fantastic efforts out there,” said manager Rocco Baldelli. “All of them. Sim pitched really good, I think, with his heater. He used it in a lot of different ways. He stuck it down in the zone, up in the zone, mixed his pitches really well. Kept them off the bases, just did a really nice job. Heck of a way for our starting staff to go into this offseason. You come out and throw the ball like that over a long period of time, you’re going to win a lot of games.”

Over the course of the road trip, Twins starters combined for 36 innings pitched, four runs (three earned), 16 hits, five walks and 47 strikeouts. That’s a combined 0.75 ERA for Zebby Matthews, Taj Bradley, Bailey Ober, Joe Ryan, Mick Abel and Woods Richardson.

That doesn’t include Opening Day starter Pablo López, who was pitching well before he sustained a mild mid-forearm strain that caused him to miss his final start. And it doesn’t include David Festa, who also missed the end of the season due to right shoulder inflammation but is confident he will be able to return with a normal spring.

If the 2026 Twins are going to return to contention, it will be on the backs of their starting pitchers. And for the last week, the 2025 team has given fans a bit of a reason to think that could be the case.

“This was an opportunity for guys to work themselves into the plans or work themselves out of the plans,” said catcher Ryan Jeffers. “I think 'opportunity' is the best word to use, and some guys really seized that and showed that they can be a really important part of what we want to do going forward. And Sim and Mick, a lot of these guys have done that.”

As for Woods Richardson specifically, his final start was a continuation of a strong September that punctuated an unusual year. He made the rotation out of Spring Training following a strong rookie season, but he struggled to pitch deep into games and was optioned to Triple-A in May.

He was effective in June and July, then went on the injured list due to an intestinal parasite at the end of July. When he returned, nearly half the roster had been turned over in a massive Trade Deadline sell-off. Yet he pitched better than ever down the stretch, posting a 2.33 ERA in September.

Woods Richardson dismissed any talk of satisfaction from the final start, due to the team loss. But he acknowledged that as a unit, it’s hard not to think the Twins starters could be onto something.

“I thought we did a really good job of throwing the ball, throwing strikes, executing,” he said. “I think all of us starters went six. That’s huge for a rotation. I mean, yeah, that’s what we want in a starting rotation, so that’s huge.”

A long and uncertain winter begins immediately for the Twins, who will sit out October for the fourth time in five years. The fate of Baldelli and the coaching staff is unclear, as is how aggressive the team will be in free agency and trades. But a hard-fought, well-pitched final week gives some hope when it was needed.

“It's incredibly encouraging, and it shows you what the guys have inside them and their heart and the types of workers and teammates they are, as much as anything,” Baldelli said. “Those things matter a lot, and a lot of those things lead to performance. As guys continue to get better, it leads to very positive things and a lot of wins.”