Angels Spring Training Game 6

You can see what’s so tantalizing about Klassen in today’s outing, and why he makes the back of some Top 100 lists still. Working 97-99 with the FB and commanding the slider, though more inconsistent with the curve and change.

You could put him in the MLB bullpen right now, and he’s probably a lockdown set-up man before the All Star Break. He went through the top of the Padres’ order with 13 pitches, several whiffs, two Ks swinging.

Then he labored more in the second inning, taking 23 pitches to get through, alternating walks and HBPs with easy pop-ups, living on the edge with the bases full. With that pattern, he’s a ‘pitching chaos’ guy that maybe gets you into the fourth or fifth inning, but he could also melt down and put the game out of reach.

The pieces are there for a #2 rotation guy, but it still feels a bit of a reach, and he’d be strong value if the club just put him in the ‘pen now.