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Blue Jays 2026 mid-season top prospect list: No. 26 John Klein
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Photo credit: © Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images
Ryley Delaney
Sep 6, 2026, 11:00 EDTUpdated: Sep 6, 2026, 19:48 EDT
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The Toronto Blue Jays have a few upper-minor pitchers who could make an impact in 2027.
One of which, John Klein, was acquired ahead of the 2026 trade deadline. The right-handed pitcher was acquired by the Blue Jays alongside Dasan Hill and Dameury Pena from the Minnesota Twins for Jeff Hoffman.
Klein’s tenure since joining the Blue Jays hasn’t been great, but he has the profile of a back-end-of-the-rotation starter at his best and comes in as our 26th-best prospect. If you missed who ranked 27th, you can read about Jake Cook here.

John Klein

Position: Starting pitcher
Throws: Right
Born: April 22nd, 2002
Acquired: Trade with Minnesota Twins
Previous ranking: N/A
Klein went undrafted, but signed as a non-drafted free agent shortly after the 2022 draft with his hometown team. The 6’5” righty gradually climbed the minor league ladder, reaching the Triple-A level in 2025 where he made four starts over seven appearances. Prior to the call-up, Klein was rocking a 3.12 ERA and 3.25 FIP in 80.2 innings of work with the Twins’ Double-A team, but has yet to replicate the success in Triple-A.
Before the trade, most of Klein’s season was spent with the St. Paul Saints, where he authored a 5.91 ERA and 5.81 FIP over 64 innings of work, making 14 starts in his 24 appearances. The righty struggled with command, posting an 11.8 BB%, but still earned a call-up in May.
Klein actually made his big league debut on May 2nd against the Blue Jays, pitching a scoreless inning. His next outing didn’t go as well, giving up two earned runs over an inning and a third, before throwing two scoreless innings on May 30th.
The 24-year-old’s tenure with the Triple-A Buffalo Bisons hasn’t gone particularly well either. Over his five starts, he has a 6.06 ERA and 4.48 FIP in 16.1 innings of work. More concerning is the decrease in his strikeout rate, going from 25.8 percent before the trade to 19.5 percent after the trade. Klein’s walk rate has also ballooned, as it sits at 17.1% over five starts.
He has a five-pitch mix, featuring a four-seam fastball that sits about 94 mph, a changeup, a curveball, a cutter, and a sweeper. The underlying stats don’t jump out, as Klein hasn’t got a ton of whiffs in Triple-A and doesn’t do a great job limiting hard contact.
At his best, he likely profiles as a back-end-of-the rotation starter, but there’s a solid chance he ends up as an AAAA pitcher like Chad Dallas or CJ Van Eyk, at least for the 2027 season.
Ryley Delaney is a Nation Network writer for Blue Jays Nation, DFOEdmonton, and DFOCalgary. She can be followed on Twitter @Ryley__Delaney.
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