From Brooklyn Park to St. Paul: John Klein’s Quiet Rise Through the Twins System

Coming into 2026, a lot of the conversation around the Minnesota Twins farm system has centered on high-profile arms like Connor Prielipp and Kendry Rojas.

But internally, there is another name that keeps coming up.

“I think John Klein’s a guy to look for,” St. Paul Saints pitching coach Ryan Ricci said. “Just watching the improvements he made last year, gaining velo, fine-tuning his off speeds… a guy that is going to be able to carry a lot of innings and pitch in some different roles.”

That idea of different roles is a big part of what makes Klein such an interesting piece of this system heading into 2026. The season begins tonight in Indianapolis with three games against the Pirates Triple-A team. The home schedule begins on Tuesday (3/31) at CHS Field when the Saints host a six-game weekend series against speedy Braiden Ward, old friend Mickey Gasper, top prospects Payton Tolle, Mikey Romero, and the Worcester Red Sox. Tickets are still available. 

At 23 years old, he doesn’t necessarily jump off the page in the same way as some of those top prospects. But in a lot of ways, he is tracking right alongside them. The 6-foot-5, 225-pound right-hander out of Brooklyn Park looks the part immediately, with a frame that’s more reminiscent of an NFL tight end than a typical pitcher.

And over the last year, he has started to turn that physicality into real production.   

Klein logged 106 1/3 innings between Double-A and Triple-A last season, finishing with a 3.98 ERA, 128 strikeouts, and 37 walks. At Double-A, he was especially steady, posting a 3.12 ERA across 80 2/3 innings before earning a promotion.

His Triple-A numbers look rough at first glance with a 6.66 ERA, but the underlying data tells a very different story. His FIP sat at just 3.30, and his strikeout rate actually improved to a very strong 11.6 K/9. A spike in walks and a .373 BABIP played a major role in his inflated ERA, and both are areas that tend to stabilize over time.

In other words, his performance was better than the results.

That progress is a big reason why the Twins have been intentional with how they have developed him.

“There’s a couple factors,” Ricci said. “For John, he started on that length reliever role where you’re still accumulating innings on a little bit shorter rest. We didn’t want to fully commit to the bullpen but also keep the door open to starting.”

That hybrid role isn't new. The Twins began using it throughout the organization to allow more pitchers the ability to throw more innings. We saw it with Travis Adams and Pierson Ohl who made their MLB debuts in 2025. The role allowed Klein to do two things at once. He was able to build up his workload, while also getting the type of between outing work that typically comes with being on a starter’s schedule.

“He performed his way into the conversation of, ‘This guy might be able to start long term,’” Ricci said. “Being on that starter plan gave him the bullpens he needed to really fine-tune the off-speed pitches and get more reps.”

That development shows up when you look at his arsenal.

Klein already features a fastball, sinker, slider, curveball, and changeup, and this spring he added a sweeper to his mix to give hitters another look. His fastball and sinker were consistently touching 96 miles per hour this spring after sitting around 94-95 last season, giving him a solid foundation to work off of. 

The next step is continuing to sharpen everything around it.

Klein’s first pitch strike rate sat below 50 percent last season, an area that needs to improve. Getting ahead in counts is one of the simplest ways to change an at-bat, and even elite hitters like Shohei Ohtani see a dramatic drop off when they fall behind early. Last season, Ohtani hit .329 when working from a 1-0 count, compared to just .227 when pitchers got ahead with a first-pitch strike.

For Klein, that is where a lot of the upside still lives. His stuff is good enough, his frame is built to handle innings, and the role flexibility gives him multiple paths to the major leagues.

Because while the Twins have not fully committed to him as a starter, they also have not closed that door.

At the same time, there is a very real scenario where Klein carves out a role as a multi-inning reliever. Someone who can give you two or three innings at a time, a couple times a week, and help stabilize a pitching staff over the course of a long season.

That kind of pitcher does not always get the same attention but is a valuable piece to have. And with the way Klein has developed over the last year, he is putting himself in a position to be exactly that.

He may not be the flashiest name in the Twins system, but between his progress, versatility, and the underlying numbers, he is absolutely one to watch in 2026.

For much more Twins Daily content on John Klein and his rise through the Twins organization, click here. 

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