At the beginning of the 2025 season, Will Klein was toiling in Triple-A with the Seattle Mariners, however he ended it by being a saving grace for the Dodgers with a legendary Game 3 efficiency within the World Series.
Klein made his large league debut in 2024 with the Kansas City Royals, later being packaged in a deal to the Oakland Athletics for reliever Lucas Erceg. Klein struggled throughout eight video games between each groups, permitting 9 runs on 12 hits throughout 7 1/3 innings of labor. He was designated for task on Jan. 17, and was dealt to the Seattle Mariners 4 days later.
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Klein started the 2025 season with the Triple-A Tacoma Rainiers, the place he struggled over 21 1/3 innings of labor by posting a 7.17 ERA with opposing hitters batting .277 in opposition to him. He didn’t see any time with the large league workforce earlier than being designated for task by Seattle on May 31, in the end being dealt to the Dodgers two days later for left-handed reliever Joe Jacques.
Klein appeared in six video games for the Triple-A Oklahoma City Comets earlier than being referred to as up on June 21, with right-handed reliever Jack Little being demoted again to Triple-A. Klein pitched in two video games for the Dodgers in June, tossing 3 2/3 shutout innings with 5 strikeouts earlier than he was shortly demoted, as Luis García was activated off the injured checklist.
The bulk of Klein’s season within the large leagues got here in July, the place he endured some troublesome outings resembling giving up two runs in a 9-1 loss to the Milwaukee Brewers on July 7 and permitting three runs on three walks (no hits) in a 10-7 loss to the Minnesota Twins on July 22. He posted a 5.14 ERA throughout seven innings in July, and he spent all the month of August within the minor leagues. He was later referred to as again up for the ultimate 9 video games of the common season, the place he tossed 4 2/3 shutout innings whereas putting out six and strolling only one.
The Dodgers confronted some powerful choices as to how they might assemble their postseason bullpen, contemplating choices resembling Tanner Scott, Blake Treinen and Kirby Yates handled accidents or severely and persistently underperformed. Klein was added to the postseason pitching workers as a “last-ditch” possibility, solely showing in a blowout loss to the Toronto Blue Jays in Game 1 of the World Series.
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Everything modified on Monday, October 27. The final time the Dodgers performed a World Series Game 3 at dwelling was in 2018 in opposition to the Boston Red Sox, which lasted 18 innings. The Dodgers skilled one other marathon of a sport in Game 3, because it additionally lasted 18 innings. After the 14th inning, the Dodgers solely had one bullpen choices out there, that being Will Klein. Not solely did Klein maintain Toronto at bay to offer the Dodgers a preventing likelihood at successful, he threw a career-high in pitches at 72, tossed a career-high 4 shutout innings and struck out a career-high 5 hitters whereas solely permitting two walks and successful. Freddie Freeman fortunately prevented the Dodgers from having to ship Klein out for a possible fifth inning or have to achieve into their rotation for assist. His efforts didn’t go unnoticed, as his glove from Game 3 now finds a house in Cooperstown on the Baseball Hall of Fame Museum.
2025 particulars
Age: 25
Stats: 1-1, 2.35 ERA, 1.565 WHIP, 2.74 FIP, 21 Okay, 10 BB, 15 1/3 IP, 181 ERA+, 0.2 rWAR, 0.3 fWAR
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Postseason: 5 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 5 Okay
Salary: unknown
Game of the yr
Nothing can high Klein’s signature efficiency in Game 3 of the World Series. He immediately made his identify generally known as a postseason legend and saved the Dodgers from having to go together with their rotation as viable bullpen choices.
Roster standing
Will Klein has 81 days of massive league service time and is on the Dodgers 40-man roster.