# Will Klein (baseball)
**Will Klein** (William Boone Klein, born 1999 in [Bloomington, Indiana](https://www.edgepedia.org/bloomington-indiana)) is an American professional baseball relief pitcher for the Los Angeles Dodgers of Major League Baseball (MLB). A right-hander listed at 6 feet 5 inches and 230 pounds, he was drafted by the [Kansas City Royals](https://www.edgepedia.org/kansas-city-royals) in the fifth round, 135th overall, of the 2020 MLB June Amateur Draft from [Eastern Illinois University](https://www.edgepedia.org/eastern-illinois-university), debuted in the majors on April 28, 2024, and became a 2025 World Series champion with the Dodgers after a four-inning winning performance in Game 3.[1](https://www.mlb.com/player/will-klein-694361) • [2](https://www.baseball-reference.com/register/player.fcgi?id=klein-002wil)
| Key fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Full name, born | William Boone Klein, 1999, Bloomington, Indiana; bats and throws right-handed; 6'5", 230 lb[1](https://www.mlb.com/player/will-klein-694361) |
| Draft | Kansas City Royals, 5th round (135th overall), 2020 MLB June Amateur Draft, from Eastern Illinois University; the Royals' final pick in the shortened five-round draft[2](https://www.baseball-reference.com/register/player.fcgi?id=klein-002wil) • [3](https://www.baseballamerica.com/players/8752-will-klein/) |
| MLB debut | April 28, 2024, at age 24, with Kansas City[4](https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/k/kleinwi01.shtml) |
| Teams | Royals (2024), Athletics (2024), Seattle Mariners (2025), Los Angeles Dodgers (2025–present)[1](https://www.mlb.com/player/will-klein-694361) |
| Signature game | 2025 World Series Game 3: winning pitcher in an 18-inning game, four shutout innings, one hit allowed, five strikeouts, 72 pitches[1](https://www.mlb.com/player/will-klein-694361) • [5](https://apnews.com/article/ec8b7b457a436ab899c322255bd4ef03) |
| Career MLB line | 58 regular-season games, 5–5, 4.20 ERA, 64.1 innings, 77 strikeouts; postseason: 2 games, 1–0, 0.00 ERA in 5.0 innings[1](https://www.mlb.com/player/will-klein-694361) |
| Honors | 2025 World Series championship; 2023 Futures Game selection; 2021 MiLB.com Organization All-Star[6](https://www.mlb.com/dodgers/player/will-klein-694361) |
## Amateur career and draft
Klein graduated in 2017 from Bloomington North High School in Indiana, where he earned first team All-Conference honors, and pitched at Eastern Illinois University.[1](https://www.mlb.com/player/will-klein-694361) At the start of the 2020 college season he was ranked the No. 1 prospect in the [Ohio Valley Conference](https://www.edgepedia.org/ohio-valley-conference).[1](https://www.mlb.com/player/will-klein-694361) The 2020 draft was cut to five rounds during the COVID-19 pandemic, and Klein was Kansas City's final pick in it, a selection [Baseball America](https://www.edgepedia.org/baseball-america) later described as looking like excellent value.[3](https://www.baseballamerica.com/players/8752-will-klein/)
## Minor-league development
Klein moved through the Royals' system from the rookie-level AZL Royals in 2020 to [Quad Cities](https://www.edgepedia.org/quad-cities), Double-A Northwest Arkansas, and Triple-A Omaha.[1](https://www.mlb.com/player/will-klein-694361) He was named a MiLB.com Organization All-Star for the Royals in 2021 and selected for the Futures Game in 2023 while with Omaha.[6](https://www.mlb.com/dodgers/player/will-klein-694361)
His 2023 season established him as a power arm. In 21 appearances for Northwest Arkansas he recorded 44 strikeouts in 29.1 innings, a rate of 13.5 per nine innings, before a June 13 promotion to Omaha.[1](https://www.mlb.com/player/will-klein-694361) Across both levels his 13.01 strikeouts per nine innings led all Royals minor leaguers with at least 60.0 innings pitched, and his fastball averaged 97.0 mph at Omaha, reaching a season-high 101.7 mph on June 21 at Rochester.[1](https://www.mlb.com/player/will-klein-694361) The Royals selected his contract from Omaha on November 14, 2023, adding him to the 40-man roster.[1](https://www.mlb.com/player/will-klein-694361)
## Major-league journey, 2024–2025
Klein made his MLB debut on April 28, 2024, at Detroit, tossing a scoreless eighth inning with two strikeouts, and earned his first career win on June 2 against San Diego.[1](https://www.mlb.com/player/will-klein-694361) He appeared in eight games between Kansas City and Oakland that season, going 1–0 with an 11.05 ERA in 7.1 innings.[1](https://www.mlb.com/player/will-klein-694361)
Three organizations in under a year followed. On July 30, 2024, the Royals traded Klein, right-hander Mason Barnett, and outfielder Jared Dickey to the Athletics for relief pitcher Lucas Erceg.[1](https://www.mlb.com/player/will-klein-694361) On January 21, 2025, Oakland sent him to the [Seattle Mariners](https://www.edgepedia.org/seattle-mariners) for international slot money, and after he was designated for assignment on May 31, 2025, the Mariners traded him to the Dodgers on June 2, 2025, for left-hander Joe Jacques.[1](https://www.mlb.com/player/will-klein-694361)
With the Dodgers in 2025 he pitched 1.2 shutout innings in his debut on June 21 and was recalled and optioned repeatedly during the summer. Of his 14 regular-season appearances, 11 were scoreless, and left-handed batters hit .171 with a .479 OPS against him in 40 plate appearances.[1](https://www.mlb.com/player/will-klein-694361)
## 2025 World Series
Klein was not on the playoff roster for any of the first three rounds but was added to the active squad for the [World Series](https://www.edgepedia.org/world-series).[1](https://www.mlb.com/player/will-klein-694361) In Game 1 he pitched a shutout inning against the [Toronto Blue Jays](https://www.edgepedia.org/toronto-blue-jays) in his first game action in four weeks.[1](https://www.mlb.com/player/will-klein-694361)
Game 3, an 18-inning contest, made his reputation. As the last reliever available, Klein allowed two singles and a walk while striking out five over four scoreless innings to become the winning pitcher, throwing 72 pitches when his previous high in a game for the Dodgers had been 36.[1](https://www.mlb.com/player/will-klein-694361) The Associated Press reported that he allowed one hit over the four innings and threw twice as many pitches as his previous major-league high; the four innings were the most he had thrown in a game since 2020 at Eastern Illinois.[5](https://apnews.com/article/ec8b7b457a436ab899c322255bd4ef03) • [1](https://www.mlb.com/player/will-klein-694361) He retired 10 of the first 11 batters he faced and ended the threat by striking out Tyler Heineman on a full-count curveball with the go-ahead runs at second and third base.[1](https://www.mlb.com/player/will-klein-694361) "We weren't losing that game," Klein said afterward. "And so I had to keep going back out there."[5](https://apnews.com/article/ec8b7b457a436ab899c322255bd4ef03) His career postseason line stands at two games, a 1–0 record, a 0.00 ERA, and five strikeouts in 5.0 innings.[1](https://www.mlb.com/player/will-klein-694361)
## 2026 season and elbow injury
Klein spent the full 2026 season with the Dodgers, appearing in 36 games, three of them as a starter, and going 3–4 with a 3.67 ERA, 41.2 innings, 49 strikeouts, and two saves.[1](https://www.mlb.com/player/will-klein-694361) He recorded his first career save against San Diego in May 2026 and sealed a 3–0 Dodgers victory on July 5, 2026.[6](https://www.mlb.com/dodgers/player/will-klein-694361) On August 1, 2026, the Dodgers placed him on the 15-day injured list with right elbow discomfort, and on September 2, 2026, they transferred him to the 60-day injured list.[1](https://www.mlb.com/player/will-klein-694361)
## Scouting report
Baseball America's evaluation holds that hitters do not get comfortable at-bats against Klein, who works primarily off a two-pitch mix and is developing a split-grip changeup that is not yet a regular part of his repertoire; the report concludes that developing command and control will dictate his future, with even subtle improvements enhancing his potent two-pitch mix.[3](https://www.baseballamerica.com/players/8752-will-klein/) His velocity is the foundation: his fastball averaged 97.0 mph at Triple-A in 2023 and touched 101.7 mph.[1](https://www.mlb.com/player/will-klein-694361)
## References
1. [Will Klein Stats, Age, Position, Height, Weight, Fantasy & News, MLB.com](https://www.mlb.com/player/will-klein-694361)
2. [Will Klein College, Amateur & Minor Leagues Statistics, Baseball-Reference.com](https://www.baseball-reference.com/register/player.fcgi?id=klein-002wil)
3. [Will Klein Stats & Scouting Report, Baseball America](https://www.baseballamerica.com/players/8752-will-klein/)
4. [Will Klein Stats, Height, Weight, Position, Rookie Status & More, Baseball-Reference.com](https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/k/kleinwi01.shtml)
5. [Freeman's homer in 18th inning lifts Dodgers over Blue Jays in World Series classic, AP News](https://apnews.com/article/ec8b7b457a436ab899c322255bd4ef03)
6. [Will Klein Stats, Age, Position, Height, Weight, Fantasy & News, Los Angeles Dodgers, MLB.com](https://www.mlb.com/dodgers/player/will-klein-694361)
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*Topic: Encyclopedia › Sports, games, and recreation › Other team and ball sports › Baseball and related bat sports › Professional baseball in the Americas › MLB players and personnel biographies › Relief pitchers and closers*
*Initially written Sep 17, 2026 · Reviewed: Oct 21, 2026 · Edited: Oct 12, 2026; Oct 15, 2026; Oct 21, 2026 · Last review: Oct 21, 2026*
*Copyright 2026 EdgeChat AI, a subsidiary of Biostate AI.*
License: Edgepedia Community License 1.0, https://www.edgepedia.org/edgepedia/license