ANAHEIM -- George Klassen, step right on up.
With fellow right-hander Ryan Johnson scratched due to illness, Klassen was called up to make his Major League debut in a start against the Mariners on Sunday afternoon at Angel Stadium. Klassen, ranked as the club’s No. 4 prospect by MLB Pipeline, had an impressive showing during Spring Training and in his first start with Triple-A Salt Lake to earn the nod.
“I think we saw maturity,” manager Kurt Suzuki said. “In the sense of when things kind of got rolling a little bit in spring, he made adjustments quickly. In the past, things probably would have snowballed a little bit on him. He's always had the stuff, but he was a lot more consistent in the zone and attacking.”
Klassen, 24, was acquired by the Angels in the trade that sent Carlos Estevez to the Phillies at the 2024 Trade Deadline. He posted a 5.22 ERA with 134 strikeouts and 47 walks in 108 2/3 innings across Double-A and Triple-A last year while dealing with the effects of being hit in the head by a line drive in his start on May 11. But he returned to action on June 1 and was the club’s selection to participate in last year’s All-Star Futures Game.
This season, he made one start at Triple-A Salt Lake, allowing one run over 4 2/3 innings with five strikeouts and no walks. It was his turn in the rotation at Triple-A on Sunday, which made it an easier decision to bring him up to start. But he had to be added to the 40-man roster, so the Angels designated lefty reliever Joey Lucchesi for assignment.
Klassen certainly has plus stuff with a fastball that averages 97-98 mph, to go along with a slider that can average 92 mph and a 86-87 mph power curve. He’s also been working on a changeup that averages 88-89 mph.
“In Spring Training, he was with us until the very end,” Suzuki said. “We love what we saw.”