When the Los Angeles Dodgers acquired Will Klein on June 2, 2025, from the Seattle Mariners, it came with little fanfare.
At the time, Klein was primarily a Minor Leaguer still trying to find his footing in professional baseball. The Dodgers gave him some chances during the season, but he still showed the same command struggles he had throughout his career.
Klein showed some progress late in the season, and he was eventually added to the Dodgers’ 2025 World Series roster. It was there when he etched his name in Dodgers’ history forever with an extraordinary performance in Game 3.
Klein entered 2026 Spring Training as a World Series hero, but he was also looking to establish himself as a full-time Major Leaguer, rather than just a memory of last year.
The 26-year-old now has new confidence in himself, and Dodgers manager Dave Roberts has seen that show up dramatically this year.
“It’s night and day,” Roberts said of the improvements Klein has made since last year. “There was a lot of unsureness, anxiousness, uncertainty, but now there’s real confidence. And you talk a lot about one person outside the lines, another person inside, and he epitomizes that.
“The look that he had coming off the field last night was a different guy, and hitters feel that. So he’s grown a lot of real confidence. And I just love the way he attacks. I love it.”
Klein has always had elite stuff with an electric fastball and devastating curveball, but he had yet to combine that with control and a game plan on how to best attack hitters. Now that he’s improved on his command and backs his stuff with confidence, the Dodgers seemingly have another impact arm.
“He’s trending in the right direction,” Roberts said on Klein getting more high-leverage opportunities. “You attack, you throw strikes, you can get left and right out, you can change speeds with a curveball. You throw close to 100, and that’s an uncomfortable at-bat.
“So for me, yeah, he’s getting right there in that trust tree.”
Klein made his 2026 debut in the Dodgers’ second game of the season. He pitched one perfect inning while recording a strikeout, and the Dodgers will count on many more of those types of innings from him.
<2>Dodgers fans show appreciation for Will Klein
When Klein received his World Series ring and when he entered the game, he received loud cheers from Dodgers fans both times. He also debuted a new entrance song, “I’m Shipping Up To Boston.”
“Yeah, they appreciate what he did for us,” Roberts said. “He wasn’t a household name before the season and pitched four huge innings in the World Series, answered the bell when called upon.
“Yeah, he’s got his walkout song. And there’s a lot of people who love the Irish song, it’s good. They love the red hair, but it was good. Will, he’s a good dude, good kid.”
One year ago, Klein was a relatively unknown player fighting for his baseball life. Now, he’s a key piece and fan-favorite on a team looking to three-peat as World Series champions.
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