We found that with an increase of the potential barrier applied to metallic graphene ribbons, the Klein tunneling current decreases until it is totally destroyed and the pseudo-spin polarization increases until it reaches its maximum value when the current is zero. This inverse relation disfavors the generation of polarized currents in a sub-lattice. In this work we discuss the pseudo-spin control (polarization and inversion) of the Klein tunneling currents, as well as the optimization of these polarized currents in a sub-lattice, using potential barriers in metallic graphene ribbons. Using density of states maps, conductance results, and pseudo-spin polarization information (all of them as a function of the energy V and width of the barrier L), we found (V, L) intervals in which the polarized currents in a given sub-lattice are maximized. We also built parallel and series configurations with these barriers in order to further optimize the polarized currents. A systematic study of these maps and barrier configurations shows that the parallel configurations are good candidates for optimization of the polarized tunneling currents through the sub-lattice. Furthermore, we discuss the possibility of using an electrostatic potential as (i) a pseudo-spin filter or (ii) a pseudo-spin inversion manipulator, i.e. a possible latticetronic of electronic currents through metallic graphene ribbons. The results of this work can be extended to graphene nanostructures. © 2014 IOP Publishing Ltd.