Will Klein Becomes Overnight Legend With Heroic World Series Performance: ‘Kind of Surreal’

LOS ANGELES — Game 3 of the World Series was such an out-of-body experience for Dodgers reliever Will Klein that he woke up Tuesday morning still not fully believing the previous night had actually happened. 

If he needed a reminder, though, the text messages on his phone provided it. 

“I had like 500 after the game,” Klein said, “and I think I’ve had 500 more since going through all of them. So, it’s neverending.”

Can you blame the good people of his native Bloomington, Indiana?

(Photo by Mary DeCicco/MLB Photos via Getty Images)

A week ago, Klein was in Arizona throwing live batting practice to hitters. The 25-year-old spent most of his year at Triple-A, and he did not make the Dodgers’ roster for any of the previous series this October.

By Monday night, he had Hall of Famer Sandy Koufax entering the Dodgers’ clubhouse to congratulate him for his efforts.   

“Kind of surreal,” Klein said. “Just getting to meet him and shake his hand just kind of, like, put it all into perspective.” 

So did a tweet from another Hall of Fame pitcher, C.C. Sabathia. 

“Seeing that was kind of crazy,” Klein said, “You grow up watching these guys, and now, like, they’re watching you and acknowledging it. That was really cool to see.” 

Through 14 innings of Game 3, in a World Series knotted at a game apiece, the Dodgers had used every member of their bullpen. 

Except for one. 

Klein, a late addition to the playoff roster who was traded from the Royals to the A’s last year, the A’s to the Mariners in January and the Mariners to the Dodgers in June, was the last man standing. 

He entered this year with an 11.05 ERA in eight big-league opportunities. But he saw more success in 14 relief appearances with the Dodgers, who believed in the upside. 

“He was a guy that wasn’t really a strike thrower, but really challenging him here at the big-league level, I think our coaches have done a fantastic job of cleaning up the delivery, challenging him to be in the hitting zone,” said manager Dave Roberts. 

Klein tallied a 2.35 ERA with the Dodgers. He struck out 21 batters in 15.1 innings, but he also walked 10. Entering the World Series, his maximum output in a game this year was 45 pitches. The 2020 fifth-round pick out of Eastern Illinois had not thrown more than 56 pitches since he was in college. 

On Monday night, the Dodgers asked for a career-high 72. 

“It’s one of those things that you don’t really know until you know,” Roberts said, “until you throw somebody in the fire and see how they respond.” 

Klein’s response: Four scoreless innings to finish off an 18-inning marathon and a 6-5 Dodgers win. 

Game 3 was another record-setting performance for Shohei Ohtani and the latest legendary October moment of Freddie Freeman’s Dodgers tenure. 

But it will also be remembered as the Will Klein game. 

“That’s a story he’ll have the rest of his life,” said Blake Snell.

Klein knew no one was there to save him in Game 3 — at least, not until Yoshinobu Yamamoto began warming up for a potential 19th inning — so he relied on adrenaline, ignoring the fatigue building in his legs as the innings piled up. 

“The hitter doesn’t care, so why should I?” Klein said. “Just finding it in me to throw one more pitch, and then throw another one after that. And then sitting down and getting back up, the same thought going back out there for the next one: Like, putting up a zero, we’re not losing this game.” 

Freeman made sure of that, sending 52,654 fans home happy with another World Series walk-off winner. Freeman’s teammates mauled him at home plate, then immediately turned toward Klein to celebrate with the journeyman reliever, who was experiencing a night beyond his wildest dreams. 

“I couldn’t have ever imagined that this would happen,” Klein said. 

“He deserved it,” said Max Muncy. “For that performance he put on, he deserved every bit of that.” 

In the aftermath, Klein briefly went back to the clubhouse and checked his phone. There were more notifications than he had ever seen in his life, including plenty of support from back home.

“I’ve heard from every coach I’ve ever had,” Klein said. “High school, travel, college, probably T-ball. Middle school put a picture up from yesterday in their hallway, so that was cool.”

Twenty-four hours later, the reality still hadn’t fully set in. 

But he was reminded of his newfound fame when someone at Starbucks recognized him Tuesday morning, then again when he arrived back at the field where became an overnight legend. There was, understandably, more media attention than he had ever received. 

Klein stepped to the podium Tuesday afternoon in a shirt depicting a goat with the No. 17 in the middle, a reference to Ohtani, who reached base nine times in Monday’s win and will start on the mound in Game 4 of the World Series just 17 hours later. 

How many innings will Klein be good for in relief? 

“As many as they need,” Klein said with a smile. “Hopefully zero.” 

Rowan Kavner is an MLB writer for FOX Sports. He previously covered the L.A. Dodgers, LA Clippers and Dallas Cowboys. An LSU grad, Rowan was born in California, grew up in Texas, then moved back to the West Coast in 2014. Follow him on X at @RowanKavner.