This rising fireballer boasts a 97 mph fastball and could crack the Angels' 2026 opening day roster with continued command improvement.
The Los Angeles Angels have been active in the market for pitchers this offseason, bringing in several names such as Grayson Rodriguez, Drew Pomeranz, and Kirby Yates. Still, there’s room for more new faces to step onto the mound for the Halos in 2026, and it may come from within their system.
In a recent Bleacher Report article listing the most MLB-ready prospects from each team across the league, Joel Reuter selected right-handed starter George Klassen for the Angels. He gave Klassen a 40% chance to make the club’s opening day roster.
Klassen is listed as the No. 3 prospect in the Angels’ system according to MLB.com. The 6’ 2” hurler was selected in the sixth round of the 2023 draft by the Philadelphia Phillies before being dealt in the Carlos Estevez trade in 2024.
In his first full season in the Halos’ system in 2025, Klassen posted an unassuming 5.80 ERA across 25 starts, including one in Triple-A. What boosts Klassen’s chances of seeing MLB action early next season is how strong he ended his 2025 campaign. In his final five starts, the 23-year-old held teams to a 1.55 ERA and struck out 40 batters in 29 innings.
Klassen’s fastball projects to be great in the majors, averaging out around 97 mph with the ability to hit triple digits. He complements it with a slider that can reach 90 mph and an 85 mph curveball that has flashed real nastiness at times.
What Klassen has struggled with has been his command, walking 8.5 batters per nine in college. He was able to bring it down to 3.9 last season, but there’s still room for improvement in that area of his game.
As of now, the Angels will see Yusei Kikuchi, Reid Detmers, Jose Soriano, and Grayson Rodriguez take the mound in 2026. There’s room for others like Caden Dana or new-signee Alek Manoah, but Klassen could slide in to be the final piece to the rotation within a month or two of the 2026 campaign. If his fastball continues to dominate and he can improve on his command, the Angels could see yet another young pitcher working his way into the major-league rotation very soon.