Will Klein

Eastern Illinois has not had a player drafted in the top 10 rounds since the Angels picked lefthander Tyler Kehrer in the supplemental first round in 2009. Klein should break that drought. Primarily a catcher until late in his high school career, Klein has blossomed into a a power righthander with a 94-99 mph fastball and a potentially above-average curveball, He spent his first two years in the Panthers bullpen and dominated in relief in the Northwoods League last summer, earning league's No. 1 prospect ranking. He moved into Eastern Illinois’ rotation this spring and was particularly impressive in an Opening Day start against Arkansas. Klein is still relatively new to pitching and has generally been most effective in short relief stints. His control is fringy, at best, and he sometimes has to slow down his delivery to land his curveball, tipping hitters off to the pitch. His delivery is relatively simple and he has more room for growth than a typical college pitcher given his background. Klein is a bit of a project, but most evaluators think he has a chance to become an effective late-inning reliever.