John Klein

John Joseph Klein

• Bats Right, Throws Right
• Height 6' 5", Weight 225 lb.
• School Iowa Central Community College
• High School Osseo High School
• Debut May 2, 2026

• Born April 22, 2002 in Brooklyn Park, MN USA

BR page

Biographical Information

Pitcher John Klein was never drafted but instead signed with his hometown team, the Minnesota Twins as an amateur free agent on August 8, 2022 after spending two seasons at a junior college in Iowa.

After a couple of games with the FCL Twins in 2022, he made 13 starts spread among three different levels in 2023, finishing at 2-4, 4.17 with 61 strikeouts in 58 2/3 innings. In 2024, he spent a full season with the Cedar Rapids Kernels of the Midwest League, making 20 starts in 22 appearances and finishing at 8-3, 4.57. He then pitched at AA and AAA for the first time in 2025, starting with the Wichita Wind Surge of the Texas League and finishing with the St. Paul Saints of the International League. He went 7-10, 3.98 in 31 games (15 starts) although that disguised two very different results: in AA, he was 7-5, 3.12, but in AAA he went 0-5, 6.66. He logged 106 1/3 innings, his second straight season over 100, and put up an excellent K/W ratio of 128/37.

He started the 2026 season in St. Paul and continued to struggle with AAA batters, going 1-1, 7.48 in his first 7 games at the level. That did not discourage the Twins from calling him up on May 2nd, when Cole Sands was placed on the injured list, and he made his big league debut that same day, pitching a perfect 9th inning in an 11-4 loss to the Toronto Blue Jays.

Related Sites

• John Klein on mlb.com
• BR Minors page