Woods Richardson turning heads at camp
TORONTO -- Simeon Woods Richardson doesn’t look, talk or throw a baseball like the only teenager at the Blue Jays’ Summer Camp in Toronto.
The club’s No. 3 prospect, now 19, has already come further than anyone expected by this point after being acquired from the Mets in the Marcus Stroman deal nearly one year ago. The Blue Jays surprised many with an aggressive assignment to Class A Advanced Dunedin at just 18 last season, but Woods Richardson didn’t blink.
This week, he suddenly found himself in a Blue Jays jersey, running out to the mound at Rogers Centre with his walkout music playing. Woods Richardson knows this isn’t a fantasy camp, though, and he’s here for a reason.
“I’ve been sitting there watching Ken Giles, Matt Shoemaker and Hyun-Jin Ryu,” Woods Richardson said. “These guys pitch perfect. They come in and, yes, you want to ask questions, but just to sit back and watch their work and see what they do day to day is pretty surreal.”
Watching these veterans work has emphasized the difference between showing up to the field to get better in general vs. showing up with a specific plan and focus for that day. That mental sharpness, as much as any pitch sequence or curveball grip, is what’s stuck with the right-hander.
When he was first dealt to the Blue Jays, he heard what most folks hear when they’re headed to Toronto. “You have to see this, you have to do that.” Instead, he’s only able to see what’s out his window as the Blue Jays operate under a modified quarantine and cannot leave the stadium or hotel. For Woods Richardson, though, that’s just fine.
“It’s actually been pretty fun. I’m an only child, so being by myself and being in a room sitting around watching TV, that’s fun after practice for me,” he said. “Going to the stadium is an unbelievable feeling, knowing that’s my place of work and that’s the job I go to every day. It’s so beautiful to see the CN Tower over it.”
Every conversation you have about Woods Richardson with coaches or teammates comes back to his maturity. Even as he speaks, the joy in his voice is always balanced by an understanding that he’s here for a reason, both because of the work he’s put in and the people he’s had in his corner along the way.
Woods Richardson has been the kid in every clubhouse, so this isn’t new. His summer coach in Texas was Adam Dunn, who hit 462 home runs over a 14-year MLB career. He’s worked with Mike Sirotka, another Houston native, who pitched six seasons for the White Sox. Yes, the lights are bright here in Toronto, but he doesn’t seem to feel it.
“It’s the way I carry myself,” Woods Richardson said. “My mom has always told me I’ve been mature for my age, and I’ve always carried myself that way. I’ve always been the little big brother. I know I have that chip on my shoulder. Let me show you what this young buck can do.”