MLB WORLD SERIES: DODGERS VS BLUE JAYS

October 28, 2025

Will Klein

Emmet Sheehan

Dodger Stadium

Los Angeles Dodgers

Pregame 4 Press Conference

Q. It's a day after. You've had a chance, Will, to go through all your texts. How many were there?

WILL KLEIN: I had like 500 after the game, and I think I've had 500 more since going through all of them. So it's never-ending.

Q. (No microphone.)

WILL KLEIN: I woke up this morning still not feeling like last night had happened, so it was -- yeah, it was an out-of-body experience.

Q. How surprised are you at how well you are? How surprised are you at the whole situation now?

WILL KLEIN: I mean, a week ago I was in Arizona throwing live A-Bs, so just being on the roster and being in the World Series was a surprise. So then getting to throw Game 1 was cool and then, yeah, yesterday was just even cooler, I guess, yeah.

Q. What's it like to -- people have been going, Who is Will Klein, to, Hey, Will Klein. I love that guy.

WILL KLEIN: Yeah, it's been pretty cool. I've seen some of the stuff on Twitter and Instagram. You know, it's a complete 180 from where I was earlier this year and just being on the good side of people is a lot better than the other side, so it's been, yeah, pretty crazy.

Q. Emmet, although he's just kind of been with the team a short time, relatively, what's it been like just kind of seeing this metamorphosis?

EMMET SHEEHAN: It's awesome. Yeah, I played with Will in OKC this year in Triple-A. I saw the stuff and how nasty he is and how great of a competitor he is, so it's not a surprise for me. But, yeah, it's really cool to see.

Q. Emmet, you're a starter all year in your career and now pitching in the bullpen. How tough of a transition has that been, and what have you done differently in the last month or so to sort of prepare for all this?

EMMET SHEEHAN: Yeah, it definitely wasn't the easiest at first. I struggled a little bit. But I think just leaning on the other guys in the bullpen. I had Kersh down there, and I had Glasnow down there at the start to try to work through it with, and then trying to learn from the older guys, the veterans in the bullpen that have helped me a lot.

Q. Some guys when they go to the bullpen, their stuff plays up. Do you feel your stuff is playing up while pitching in relief?

EMMET SHEEHAN: I don't know. Honestly, it feels pretty much the same. But, yeah, I'm not sure.

Q. Emmet -- for both of you, really, when you're in the bullpen, especially in the World Series, what does it feel like? You're a starter Emmet. What are the conversations like with Kersh, with the other guys? And is the adrenaline really running now that we're in the World Series?

EMMET SHEEHAN: I think so, yeah. I can't speak for everybody, but I think it's just doing whatever it takes to win. That's the main theme.

Q. Any conversations that you guys have, what do you sort of talking about? Are you just focusing on the game or what?

EMMET SHEEHAN: For the most part, yeah. It's just normal bullpen conversations. It's kind of hard to describe, I don't know. But I'm trying to learn the ways to go about it.

Q. Will, what was it like last night meeting Sandy Koufax, and was there any text message or social media thing that surprised you the most?

WILL KLEIN: Yeah, I mean, getting to meet Sandy after the game was -- I mean, kind of surreal. He's obviously a legend, a Dodger legend, baseball legend, and just getting to meet him and shake his hand was -- just kind of like put it all into perspective. And then when I was talking to -- I think it was MLB after the game just, like, they showed me, like, CC's Tweet, and you know, just, like, seeing that was kind of crazy because you grow up watching these guys and now like they're watching you and acknowledging it. So that was really cool to see.

Q. Emmet, was that cool for you too to see Sandy Koufax stay all 18 innings and be in your clubhouse after?

EMMET SHEEHAN: It was awesome. I've talked to him a few times and he's the best.

Q. For both of you guys, what's it like watching Ohtani have that kind of night he had last night, getting on base nine times, and then to think about the fact he's coming back and pitching today?

WILL KLEIN: I couldn't do it. I don't know -- you know, just being able to hit two home runs, doubles, and then walk and go through whatever happened yesterday, and then now he's going to go out and I'm sure do something equally as insane and go pitch and then hit as well as he did yesterday too. I mean, there's never going to be another guy like that, so just being able to be around him is really, really cool.

EMMET SHEEHAN: I think that sums it up, yeah. Yeah, it's incredible. Just crazy.

Q. What did Sandy tell you when he came in there?

WILL KLEIN: I still don't remember a whole lot from yesterday, but it was more along the lines like, Good job, like, Congrats, like just kind of talking about how it went and just what it took to go through that.

Q. When you got traded here, what was that period like for you, changing organizations again? And what did you kind of find over these last five months here with this team to especially, it seemed like, trust your stuff in the zone a little bit more and be able to attack guys like you did last night?

WILL KLEIN: Yeah, a lot of it is, like, the confidence you see in the other pitchers here and just going after guys. A big thing too was the addition of a sweeper when I got here, McGuiness and Prior really helped me with it, helped me attack righties a little better.

So there's that and staying in the mindset of just going after guys and just pounding the zone. You see it after a couple successful outings, like, if they're not hitting it, then you just, like, keep building on that within yourself. So just getting the reps doing that.

Q. How did you find out you were getting traded here?

WILL KLEIN: I got DFA'd the day before, and they told me to wait around, and then the next -- or that night, I think, they told me the Dodgers were trading for me, and I was like, well, that's really cool, and the next day I was in L.A.

So it was a quick turnaround, nothing, like, glamorous or anything. Like, I woke up to a 9:00 a.m. missed phone call and a text saying, Hey, call me back, and found out I was DFA'd really low then, and then that night got traded to the Dodgers and, like, really high then. So it was a crazy day and it's all worked out pretty well, I would say.

Q. I know you're from Bloomington. Have you heard from your old high school coach or any folks back there?

WILL KLEIN: Yeah, I've heard from every coach I've ever had, (laughing), high school, travel, college, probably T-ball. Middle school put a picture up from yesterday in their hallway, so that was cool. Yeah, there's been a lot of support from Bloomington, which has been great.

Q. So in other words, nobody cares that John Mellencamp is from there anymore?

WILL KLEIN: No. He's got a cool house there, though.

Q. I know you had said when you were -- there was nobody left in the bullpen except you. Were you talking to yourself? Were you trying to psych yourself up? Were you thinking, I'm going to get called on any minute here? What was going through your mind?

WILL KLEIN: I mean, yeah, like, as soon as Enriquez went out there, I'm like, I'm the last one. And he ran two great innings. That was, like, sick. And you're hoping we walk it off there, and if you don't, I was like, all right, well, we're not losing this game, and I was going to go out there until apparently Yamamoto was, you know, ready to go. Just really glad we didn't have to see what happened there.

Q. For you in these postseason games where you're coming in and you start innings with no one on base, how different is that from the automatic runner when you were always coming in to start an inning with a runner on second?

WILL KLEIN: It's so much better.

EMMET SHEEHAN: I've never done the automatic runner, but, yeah, I would assume it's better.

Q. Does it change the way you pitch when you come in and there's already a runner on second?

WILL KLEIN: Yeah, like, you come in with a guy on second I feel like the automatic thinking is they're going to bunt and then you got get ready for that. And then it's basically -- like, if most teams execute that, you're coming in with a guy on third, one out, so then you're playing a lot more for a strikeout there and, like, weak contact versus just kind of going at guys not caring.

But I'm just -- yeah, you don't get 18 innings of baseball with a ghost runner, so I had a lot more fun yesterday.

Q. I know we've talked about what now the last 72 hours the whirlwind it's been for you and your wife, but just what was the reaction and the conversation amongst the two of you guys last night, just really kind of, if you were able to take a step back and just kind of reflect on this moment and how special this is for you?

WILL KLEIN: Yeah, I don't know if it has set in yet. I think we talked about, like, it's not really going to kind of -- the weight of it is not going to set in until we're at home after all this is done and we get to reflect about how the year has even gone in itself, let alone being in the World Series, let alone yesterday.

But we kind of tried to sit there yesterday and just enjoy the moment a little bit, and then got family coming out today, so that will be fun to get to spend some time with them and experience it with them as well. But, yeah, I don't think that will set in for a long time.

Q. I know you guys are just kind of riding the high of the adrenaline right now. Guys have sleepy eyes, it's a thing, but when it comes to kind of finding ways to get your body ready -- Will, I'm sure you're probably shut down, but Emmet, how are you finding wanting to be available whether tonight or tomorrow?

EMMET SHEEHAN: Yeah, I want to pitch whenever they ask me to. I think it's just trying to get sleep, trying to get my recovery in after the game. Obviously, we were really happy last night, but we got to get two more wins. So, yeah, I was just trying to stay ready.

Q. It's no small feat that you achieved this year, coming back from surgery. How would you describe the way your stuff played pre-surgery to what it is now?

EMMET SHEEHAN: Thank you. I don't think it's too different. I think there's a couple different things with the arsenal. The slider's a little different. The changeup's a little different. But overall, it's pretty fastball-heavy. I think it's just a little -- I know how to use it a little better now, I think. That comes from Mark and Connor talking to me about it, and all the minor league guys too, David Anderson and Ryan Dennick and Rob Hill working with us. But, yeah, I think it's just knowing how to use it.

Q. Was it at all a challenge to make that transfer back to the bullpen, was it a little bit more difficult?

EMMET SHEEHAN: Yeah, I think so. I mean, it's just an adjustment. Learning on the fly. But like I said, I had a lot of veterans down there that have done it for a long time that helped me out and showed me the ropes.

Q. Last night was last night. You got a game tonight. How many innings are you good for?

WILL KLEIN: As many as they need. Hopefully zero.

Q. Obviously last night you were on an adrenaline rush, but how do you feel this morning? Can you tell the difference? It's about twice as long as you've ever gone.

WILL KLEIN: I think I'm still on the adrenaline rush. Yeah, I mean, definitely sore, and body's tired. But so is everyone. Everyone played 18 innings yesterday. Will caught 18 innings and he's going to go out there and catch again today somehow. I mean, it's the World Series, it could be your last game of the year, so you just find ways to not be sore and tired and just keep going.

Q. You mentioned family coming in today. They weren't there last night?

WILL KLEIN: No, they could not make it yesterday, unfortunately. But I think I'll get to spend a little more time with them today probably.

Q. Emmet, did you kind of make any adjustments from the last outing in Toronto to last night?

EMMET SHEEHAN: Yeah I think so. I think it was pretty similar to what I did in Toronto. I think it's just more scouting stuff and realizing when people are going to be aggressive and when they're not, trying to keep them off balance. That's just the name of the game, I think. But, no, I think it's just a confidence thing. It was kind of like, I already failed once, so I might as well just go in there and do whatever this time. So, yeah, I think that was it.

Q. Do you think also just having a clean inning, no one on base, like that's obviously more what you're used to coming into a game, did that have an impact?

EMMET SHEEHAN: Maybe, yeah. I mean, I think it's always a little more comfortable starting with no one on base, for sure.

Q. Will, sorry, I was a little late. My question is about your T-shirt. What does it mean?

WILL KLEIN: Oh, so it's Ohtani, he's the GOAT. And I felt like it was appropriate after yesterday and about what he's going to do today. So, yeah, he's just the most unreal player I think any of us have ever seen. And so, I don't think he needs us to wear the shirt, but I feel like it's good luck, so...