It feels a little mean to run Klein’s 40-man preview on the day he gets optioned to Triple-A Tacoma, but sometimes, that’s just how the scheduling ball falls. But it’s more likely than not that Klein, who looks like an old-timey barbershop pole decided to try being Amish, will be up in Seattle at some point this season, so it’s worth getting to know him.
Will Klein came up as part of the Royals system, drafted in the fifth and final round of the shortened 2020 draft out of Eastern Illinois. In addition to being drafted in the pandemic year, Klein was slowed in his developmental path with a shin injury that wiped out his 2022, but he still made a speedy ascent to the bigs, debuting last season for the Royals.