Klassen has had a strong spring training so far and may be looked at as an option for the Angels‘ Opening Day rotation, Rhett Bollinger of MLB.com implies.
Alek Manoah remains the favorite for the team’s fifth-starter role, but he’s had two straight rough spring starts, surrendering nine runs with a 7:7 K:BB over 6.1 innings. That could open the door for the Angels to consider other options, and Jack Kochanowicz — who’s pitched well so far — may be the lead candidate for the rotation should Manoah not get the role. However, Bollinger points that Klassen has excelled this spring, as the young hurler has given up just two runs while registering a 9:3 K:BB over eight innings spanning three appearances. Klassen isn’t on the 40-man roster and has just one Triple-A outing under his belt, so he’s probably still a longshot to open the season in the majors, but he’s one of the Angels’ top prospects, and the organization certainly hasn’t been shy in recent years about advancing prospects through the minors and up to the majors rapidly.
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