In only his fifth career start, George Klassen may have done enough to secure his place in the Los Angeles Angels’ rotation at a crucial moment. The 24-year-old right-hander delivered a dominant performance against Houston, pitching seven scoreless innings while surrendering just one hit, issuing three walks and striking out seven on 86 pitches.
“George Klassen showed exactly why I had him ranked as the No. 1 prospect in the Angels’ system.”
Klassen’s first two starts of the season came in early April, and he struggled to get through even three innings in either outing. The Angels subsequently sent him back to Triple-A, where he remained until after the trade deadline.
Since returning to the majors, however, the 24-year-old has shown significant improvement. Klassen opened with a four-inning outing in which he allowed just one run, although he issued four walks and surpassed 80 pitches. He followed that with his first career quality start, holding the Rangers to two runs over six innings before turning in his best performance yet against the Astros.
The timing could not have been better for the Angels’ No. 12 prospect, according to MLB Pipeline, especially with veteran starter Yusei Kikuchi expected to return from the injured list within the next week.
While Klassen’s first outing after returning to the majors left some questions, his performance against Texas gave the Angels’ decision-makers plenty to consider. Now, after shutting out the division-leading Astros for seven innings on the road, Klassen has made a much stronger case for an extended opportunity in the rotation.
George Klassen showing out and Yusei Kikuchi’s return should have the Angels making a big decision
Yusei Kikuchi has not looked particularly sharp during his rehab outings, but both the veteran left-hander and manager Kurt Suzuki believe his underlying numbers indicate that he is ready to return to the majors.
Normally, bringing a veteran starter back from the injured list would mean another pitcher loses his rotation spot. However, the Angels have a strong reason to take a different approach this time.
With the rest of the season essentially centered on development rather than results, Los Angeles should prioritize giving its young pitchers consistent opportunities. The rotation currently features breakout starter Reid Detmers, rising young talent Walbert Ureña, rookie George Klassen, former No. 2 prospect Ryan Johnson and former top-10 prospect Grayson Rodriguez, who is attempting to regain his previous form. At this stage, none of them should be removed from the starting rotation.
A six-man rotation could therefore be the ideal solution. It would allow all six starters to continue developing while providing additional rest between outings, potentially reducing the risk of injuries and helping Kikuchi avoid another setback.
Before his latest start, Klassen appeared to be the most likely candidate to lose his spot once Kikuchi returned. He lacked the prospect pedigree and major-league results to guarantee his place. But after dominating the Astros, that argument has become much harder to make.
Once Kikuchi is ready to return, the Angels should strongly consider moving to a six-man rotation and giving all six starters an opportunity to continue building toward the future.
