John Klein Had A "Pinch-Me" Experience In Twins Spring Training

Baseball fans get the best up-close experience with players each year during spring training. There are a select few, though, who’ve spent multiple vacations at their favorite team’s spring training facility and end up in the clubhouse pitching for them. John Klein is one of them.

In Minnesota's spring training clubhouse this season, Brooklyn Park’s John Klein is the player getting the first-time, pinch-me experience. Klein made headway in the Minnesota Twins farm system last season with a strong stretch at Double-A Wichita, posting a 3.12 ERA, 1.16 WHIP, 24 walks, and 95 strikeouts over 80 ⅔ innings.

He earned the call-up to Triple-A St. Paul in August and pitched in front of a hometown crowd for the first time since high school. Unfortunately, his first outing came during a day game when most family and friends couldn’t get out of work, and the nerves of pitching back in his home state got to Klein. He allowed five hits, two walks, and six runs in just ⅔ of an inning.

John Klein pitched the rest of the season decently, though. He posted a 4.68 ERA, 1.28 WHIP, 30.8% strikeout rate, and a 10.3% walk rate over 25 innings. The decent end to the season earned Klein a 40-man spot in November and an invitation to his first big league camp last month, which has brought Klein one step closer to his lifelong dream of pitching in the majors.

“It’s pretty cool,” Klein said in February. “Took a little bit to adjust to, obviously, but it’s pretty cool having guys like Johan Santana walking around and Bert Blyleven, pick their brains a little bit.”

While the Twins optioned Klein back to Triple-A St. Paul on Monday, he was able to accomplish a lot in his first big league camp. He made only one appearance on February 26 against the Pittsburgh Pirates. Still, he threw two scoreless innings, allowed no hits or walks, and recorded a strikeout.

Instead of game reps, Klein spent more time throwing bullpens and getting pitcher fielding practice on the back fields. However, he made the most of the time he spent talking to Twins legends such as Santana and Blyleven. He also engaged veteran pitchers whose lockers were next to his, such as Dan Altavilla and Liam Hendriks.

“Obviously, just trying to do the same stuff that got me here, always trying to find ways to improve,” he said.

“Guys who have been through it, done it, been around the game forever, it’s nice to take at least one thing away from them each time you talk to them. Whatever that might be, if it’s a mental cue, physical, just something on how to operate and how to find success up here.”

In the off-season, Klein added a sweeper back into his pitch arsenal after dropping it early in his pro career. Klein already has an effective cutter, curveball, and changeup in his arsenal. Adding the sweeper back will be another off-speed pitch he can use to challenge hitters.

“I had a sweeper early in my career, and then we kind of got rid of it, and now this year we’re going to bring it back, so that’s been going well,” said Klein. “And just being that I’ve thrown it before, it’s not like it’s something new, so it was easier to pick back up. Exactly like riding a bike, too.”

Klein’s role for the upcoming season is to build back up as a starter. He may be in the St. Paul Saints’ Opening Day rotation, but there’s a good chance he moves back into the pitch four innings, every four days role the Twins had him in last season. It would be an effective way to help build him into a full-time reliever, which seems increasingly likely with Klein’s addition to the 40-man this offseason.

If the move to the bullpen is full-time for Klein, then he looks like Louie Varland’s successor in the Twins bullpen. Not only because he will be another Minnesota native representing his hometown team in the pen, but he’s been another prospect who only had low 90s velo when the Twins signed him, and is now topping out at 97-98 MPH on a good day.

“[i’m] continuing to build up as a starter and then whatever they ask me to do, I’ll do,” he said. “Whatever they feel the best fit for me is, is what we’ll roll with, so we’ll see what happens.”

Even as Klein returns to minor league camp, he’s forever grateful for the experience he had in his first big league camp. He didn’t take for granted how many Minnesotans traveling to Fort Myers recognized him and sought out his time when traveling between fields.

John Klein knows the Twins fan experience in Fort Myers almost better than anyone in the Twins clubhouse, and he wants to do his part to instill lifelong memories for kids who are hoping to follow his footsteps into a major league career.

“Yeah, it’s been pretty cool,” he said. “Even in the few weeks I’ve been here, people are asking for my autograph and saying they’re from Minnesota and stuff. I remember being that young kid and looking up to Joe Mauer, just a Minnesota guy playing for the Twins, so it’s pretty cool.”