Kenley Geronimo Jansen (born September 30, 1987) is a
Curaçao
Curaçao ( ; ; pap, Kòrsou, ), officially the Country of Curaçao ( nl, Land Curaçao; pap, Pais Kòrsou), is a Lesser Antilles island country in the southern Caribbean Sea and the Dutch Caribbean region, about north of the Venezuela coas ...
an professional
baseball
Baseball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of nine players each, taking turns batting and fielding. The game occurs over the course of several plays, with each play generally beginning when a player on the fielding ...
pitcher
In baseball, the pitcher is the player who throws ("pitches") the Baseball (ball), baseball from the pitcher's mound toward the catcher to begin each play, with the goal of out (baseball), retiring a batter (baseball), batter, who attempts to e ...
for the
Boston Red Sox
The Boston Red Sox are an American professional baseball team based in Boston. The Red Sox compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) East division. Founded in as one of the American League's eig ...
of
Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball (MLB) is a professional baseball organization and the oldest major professional sports league in the world. MLB is composed of 30 total teams, divided equally between the National League (NL) and the American League (AL) ...
(MLB). He has previously played in MLB for the
Los Angeles Dodgers
The Los Angeles Dodgers are an American professional baseball team based in Los Angeles. The Dodgers compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) West division. Established in 1883 in the city of Brookly ...
and
Atlanta Braves
The Atlanta Braves are an American professional baseball team based in the Atlanta metropolitan area. The Braves compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) East division. The Braves were founded in B ...
.
Signed by the Dodgers as an undrafted free agent in 2004, Jansen converted from a
catcher
Catcher is a position in baseball and softball. When a batter takes their turn to hit, the catcher crouches behind home plate, in front of the (home) umpire, and receives the ball from the pitcher. In addition to this primary duty, the catcher ...
to a
relief pitcher
In baseball and softball, a relief pitcher or reliever is a pitcher who enters the game after the starting pitcher is removed because of fatigue, ineffectiveness, injury, or ejection, or for other strategic reasons, such as inclement weather d ...
in the minor leagues, and made his major league debut in 2010. He served as the Dodgers'
closer since 2012, and led the
National League
The National League of Professional Baseball Clubs, known simply as the National League (NL), is the older of two leagues constituting Major League Baseball (MLB) in the United States and Canada, and the world's oldest extant professional team ...
(NL) in
saves in 2017. After 11 years in the major leagues with the Dodgers, he entered free agency and signed a one-year deal with the Braves.
Jansen is a three-time
MLB All-Star
The Major League Baseball All-Star Game, also known as the "Midsummer Classic", is an annual professional baseball game sanctioned by Major League Baseball (MLB) and contested between the all-stars from the American League (AL) and National ...
and two-time
NL Reliever of the Year (2016, 2017). In 2019, Jansen became the 30th pitcher to reach
300 career saves.
Early life
Jansen was born in
Willemstad
Willemstad ( , ; ; en, William Town, italic=yes) is the capital city of Curaçao, an island in the southern Caribbean Sea that forms a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands. It was the capital of the Netherlands Antilles p ...
,
Curaçao
Curaçao ( ; ; pap, Kòrsou, ), officially the Country of Curaçao ( nl, Land Curaçao; pap, Pais Kòrsou), is a Lesser Antilles island country in the southern Caribbean Sea and the Dutch Caribbean region, about north of the Venezuela coas ...
,
the youngest of three sons of Isidor and Bernadette Jansen.
His father worked in construction until suffering a stroke when Kenley was 12; his mother is a travel agent.
[ Jansen grew up as a Braves fan, because the team's games were broadcast in Curaçao on TBS. The team later signed fellow Curaçaoan ]Andruw Jones
Andruw Rudolf Jones (; born April 23, 1977) is a Curaçaoan former baseball outfielder and designated hitter who played 17 seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB), most notably for the Atlanta Braves. Jones also played for the Los Angeles Dodgers, ...
and Jansen's older brother Ardley. Kenley Jansen began playing baseball at the age of six, alongside his brothers. He began as an outfielder before moving to shortstop. Jansen then met Andrelton Simmons
Andrelton A. Simmons (born September 4, 1989) is a Curaçaoan professional baseball shortstop who is a free agent. He previously played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Atlanta Braves, Los Angeles Angels, Minnesota Twins, and Chicago Cubs. D ...
, and was shifted to third base. He later played first base and catcher.
Baseball career
Minor leagues
Jansen was signed as an undrafted free agent catcher
Catcher is a position in baseball and softball. When a batter takes their turn to hit, the catcher crouches behind home plate, in front of the (home) umpire, and receives the ball from the pitcher. In addition to this primary duty, the catcher ...
by the Dodgers organization on November 17, 2004, and was assigned to the Rookie Class Gulf Coast Dodgers, where he played in 37 games and hit .304[ before being promoted to the ]Ogden Raptors
The Ogden Raptors are an independent baseball team of the Pioneer League, which is not affiliated with Major League Baseball (MLB) but is an MLB Partner League. They are located in Ogden, Utah and play their home games at Lindquist Field.
Pitcher ...
of the Pioneer League on August 26. He had two hits in 11 at-bats in three games for Ogden.[ He was back with the Gulf Coast team the following season, hitting .245 in 35 games.][ After the season he played for the North Shore Honu in the Hawaii Winter Baseball League, where he hit .121 in nine games.][
Jansen split 2007 between the Raptors and the Class-A ]Great Lakes Loons
The Great Lakes Loons are a Minor League Baseball team of the Midwest League and the High-A affiliate of the Los Angeles Dodgers. They are located in Midland, Michigan, and play their home games at Dow Diamond, which opened in April 2007.
His ...
of the Midwest League
The Midwest League is a Minor League Baseball league established in 1947 and based in the Midwestern United States. A Class A league for most of its history, the league was promoted to High-A as part of Major League Baseball's 2021 reorganiza ...
, hitting .207 in 73 games.[ After the season, he again played in Hawaii Winter Baseball, this time for the West Oahu CaneFires In 2008 with the Loons, he hit .227 and 9 home runs in 79 games.][ He was selected to the mid-season Midwest League All-Star game.
In 2009, he was the starting catcher for the ]Netherlands
)
, anthem = ( en, "William of Nassau")
, image_map =
, map_caption =
, subdivision_type = Sovereign state
, subdivision_name = Kingdom of the Netherlands
, established_title = Before independence
, established_date = Spanish Netherl ...
team in the World Baseball Classic
The World Baseball Classic (WBC) is an international baseball tournament sanctioned from 2006 to 2013 by the International Baseball Federation (IBAF) and after 2013 by World Baseball Softball Confederation (WBSC) in partnership with Major Leagu ...
. In the Netherlands' upset of the favored Dominican Republic
The Dominican Republic ( ; es, República Dominicana, ) is a country located on the island of Hispaniola in the Greater Antilles archipelago of the Caribbean region. It occupies the eastern five-eighths of the island, which it shares with ...
team, Jansen threw out Willy Taveras on an attempted steal of third base in the ninth inning, a key play in the game. He began 2009 with the Inland Empire 66ers of San Bernardino, but hit just .202 in 38 games.[ Despite that, he appeared in eight games for the Triple-A ]Albuquerque Isotopes
The Albuquerque Isotopes are a Minor League Baseball team of the Pacific Coast League and the Triple-A affiliate of the Colorado Rockies. They play home games at Rio Grande Credit Union Field at Isotopes Park in Albuquerque, New Mexico, at an ...
, but had just five hits in 27 at-bats.[
The Dodgers convinced Jansen that he had no future at catcher because of his poor offensive numbers and that he should switch to pitching. Under the tutelage of former major leaguer Charlie Hough, he made the conversion in the second half of the 2009 season at Inland Empire. He pitched innings for the 66ers, allowing six earned runs.][ He continued the conversion in the ]Arizona Fall League
The Arizona Fall League (AFL) is an off-season sports league owned and operated by Major League Baseball (MLB) which operates during the autumn in Arizona, United States, at six different baseball complexes. Arizona Fall League rosters are fi ...
for the Peoria Javelinas
The Peoria Javelinas are a baseball team that plays in the West Division of the Arizona Fall League. The Javelinas play their home games in the Peoria Sports Complex in Peoria, Arizona. The ballpark is also the spring training facility for the S ...
.[
Jansen was added to the Dodgers 40-man roster on November 19, 2009. He started with Inland Empire again and allowed only five runs in 18 innings while striking out 28 batters.][ On May 15, 2010, he was promoted to the Double-A ]Chattanooga Lookouts
The Chattanooga Lookouts are a Minor League Baseball team of the Southern League and the Double-A affiliate of the Cincinnati Reds. They are located in Chattanooga, Tennessee, and are named for nearby Lookout Mountain. The team plays its home ...
, where he was selected to the mid-season Southern League All-Star Game
The Southern League All-Star Game was an annual baseball game sanctioned by Minor League Baseball between professional players from the teams of the Double-A Southern League. Each division, North and South, fielded a team composed of players in ...
. He pitched 27 innings in 22 games for the Lookouts, with a 1.67 ERA.[
]
Los Angeles Dodgers (2010–2021)
2010
On July 23, 2010, Jansen was promoted to the Dodgers. He made his Major League debut in relief on July 24 against the New York Mets
The New York Mets are an American professional baseball team based in the New York City borough of Queens. The Mets compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member of the National League (NL) East division. They are one of two major leagu ...
, where he pitched a scoreless inning, retiring all three batters he faced and striking out two. On July 25, Jansen recorded his first Major League save, when he pitched a 1-2-3 inning against the Mets.
On August 26, Jansen walked and scored a run in his first Major League plate appearance, at Miller Park in Milwaukee
Milwaukee ( ), officially the City of Milwaukee, is both the most populous and most densely populated city in the U.S. state of Wisconsin and the county seat of Milwaukee County, Wisconsin, Milwaukee County. With a population of 577,222 at th ...
against Yovani Gallardo of the Brewers and collected his first major league hit on August 31, at Dodger Stadium
Dodger Stadium is a baseball stadium in the Elysian Park neighborhood of Los Angeles, California. It is the home stadium of Major League Baseball's Los Angeles Dodgers. Opened in 1962, it was constructed in less than three years at a cost of ...
. The hit was a single up the middle against Kyle Kendrick of the Philadelphia Phillies
The Philadelphia Phillies are an American professional baseball team based in Philadelphia. They compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member of the National League (NL) East division. Since 2004, the team's home stadium has been Citize ...
. Jansen recorded his first win against the Houston Astros
The Houston Astros are an American professional baseball team based in Houston, Texas. The Astros compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) West division, having moved to the division in 2013 after ...
on September 11 in Minute Maid Park
Minute Maid Park is a retractable roof stadium in Houston, Texas, United States. It opened in 2000 as the home ballpark of Major League Baseball's Houston Astros. It has a seating capacity of 41,168, which includes 5,197 club seats and 63 lu ...
. He appeared in 25 games with the Dodgers in 2010, working 27 innings with a 1–0 record and a 0.67 ERA. He also saved four games in 2010.[
]
2011
In 2011, Jansen became a key member of the Dodgers' bullpen. He was 2–1 with a 2.85 ERA in innings and saved five games.[ Jansen also struck out 96 batters, setting a new Major League season record with strikeouts per nine innings.
]
2012
In May 2012, Jansen became the Dodgers' closer after Javy Guerra struggled in the role. At the end of the season, after missing some time due to heart problems, Jansen was replaced as closer by Brandon League. He appeared in 65 games, compiling a 5–3 record, 2.35 ERA, 99 strikeouts and 25 saves.[
]
2013
Jansen began 2013 as the setup man in the bullpen but resumed the role as closer when League struggled. He was in 75 games with a 4–3 record, 1.88 ERA and 28 saves.[ He did not allow any runs, in three appearances in the 2013 National League Division Series (NLDS) against the ]Atlanta Braves
The Atlanta Braves are an American professional baseball team based in the Atlanta metropolitan area. The Braves compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) East division. The Braves were founded in B ...
but was less effective in the Championship Series (NLCS) against the Cardinals, allowing two runs in two innings.
2014
On February 11, 2014, Jansen avoided his first arbitration hearing by signing a $4.3 million contract with the Dodgers. Fully established as the Dodgers' closer in 2014, Jansen worked in 68 games with a 2.76 ERA, 101 strikeouts and 44 saves.[ He became just the fourth Dodger pitcher in history with 40+ saves in a season, joining Éric Gagné (who did it three times), Todd Worrell and Jeff Shaw. Jansen only pitched one inning in the NLDS against the Cardinals.
]
2015
On January 16, 2015, he again avoided arbitration by signing a one-year $7.425 million contract with the Dodgers. However, on February 17, he underwent surgery to remove a growth from a bone in his left foot. The recovery time kept him out of action until May. Jansen was eventually activated off the disabled list on May 15 and rejoined the Dodgers roster. Jansen struck out 23 batters in his first 14 games of the season, without giving up a single walk. This broke Jay Howell
Jay Canfield Howell (born November 26, 1955) is a former Major League Baseball relief pitcher for the Cincinnati Reds (1980), Chicago Cubs (1981), New York Yankees (1982–1984), Oakland Athletics (1985–1987), Los Angeles Dodgers (1988–1992), ...
's team records (set in the 1991 season) of 13 games without a walk to start a season and 20 strikeouts without a walk to start a season. He wound up striking out 27 before he finally walked a batter on June 30, eight shy of the major league record. He made 54 appearances for the team in 2015 with a 2.41 ERA and 36 saves. He also struck out 80 batters, while only walking 8 all season. He became the first Dodgers pitcher with five seasons of 80 or more strikeouts in relief. He appeared in three games, with two saves in the 2015 NLDS
The 2015 National League Division Series were two best-of-five-game series to determine the participating teams in the 2015 National League Championship Series. The three divisional winners (seeded 1-3) and a fourth team—the winner of a one-ga ...
and did not allow a run in innings.[ In his final year of arbitration, Jansen signed a one-year, $10.65 million, contract with the Dodgers on January 15, 2016.
]
2016
On June 20, 2016, Jansen picked up his 162nd career save against the Washington Nationals
The Washington Nationals are an American professional baseball team based in Washington, D.C.. They compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member of the National League (NL) East division. From 2005 to 2007, the team played in RFK Stadi ...
, breaking the all-time franchise record held by Éric Gagné. He was also selected to the National League team for the 2016 Major League Baseball All-Star Game
The 2016 Major League Baseball All-Star Game was the 87th edition of the Major League Baseball All-Star Game. The game was hosted by the San Diego Padres and was played at Petco Park on July 12, 2016. It was televised nationally on Fox. The Ameri ...
, his first all-star selection. On August 24, 2016, Jansen tied Jim Brewer's franchise record for strikeouts by a reliever with the 604th of his career. In 71 games, he was 3–2 with a 1.83 ERA and 47 saves, earning him the Trevor Hoffman National League Reliever of the Year Award. Of all MLB pitchers, he held right-handed batters to the lowest batting average, .107 (in 30 or more innings). In the 2016 NLDS
The 2016 National League Division Series were two best-of-five-game series to determine the participating teams in the 2016 National League Championship Series. The three divisional winners (seeded 1-3) and a fourth team—the winner of a one-gam ...
against the Washington Nationals
The Washington Nationals are an American professional baseball team based in Washington, D.C.. They compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member of the National League (NL) East division. From 2005 to 2007, the team played in RFK Stadi ...
, Jansen pitched in four games and worked innings, allowing four runs and saving two games. In the 2016 NLCS
The 2016 National League Championship Series was a best-of-seven playoff in which the Chicago Cubs defeated the Los Angeles Dodgers for the National League (NL) pennant and the right to play in the 2016 World Series against the Cleveland Indians. ...
against the Chicago Cubs
The Chicago Cubs are an American professional baseball team based in Chicago. The Cubs compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as part of the National League (NL) Central division. The club plays its home games at Wrigley Field, which is locate ...
he pitched innings over three games, with one save, and struck out 10 while only allowing one hit.
2017
On January 10, 2017, the Dodgers announced the re-signing of Jansen to a five-year, $80 million contract. On June 11, he recorded his 200th career save against the Cincinnati Reds
The Cincinnati Reds are an American professional baseball team based in Cincinnati. They compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) National League Central, Central division and were a charter member of ...
.
On June 2, 2017, Jansen recorded his 36th strikeout of the season, setting an MLB season record for most strikeouts without giving up a walk. The previous record was held by St. Louis Cardinals starting pitcher Adam Wainwright
Adam Parrish Wainwright (born August 30, 1981), nicknamed "Waino" and "Uncle Charlie", is an American professional baseball pitcher for the St. Louis Cardinals of Major League Baseball (MLB).
The Atlanta Braves selected him 29th overall in th ...
, who struck out 35 batters before giving up a walk in the 2013 season. The streak eventually reached 51 strikeouts before he recorded his first walk of the season on June 25 against the Colorado Rockies
The Colorado Rockies are an American professional baseball team based in Denver. The Rockies compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) West division. The team plays its home baseball games at Coors Fi ...
. He was named to his second straight All-Star Game
An all-star game is an exhibition game that purports to showcase the best players (the "stars") of a sports league. The exhibition is between two teams organized solely for the event, usually representing the league's teams based on region or d ...
. Jansen pitched in 65 games for the Dodgers in 2017, with five wins, a 1.32 ERA, 109 strikeouts (with only seven walks) and 41 saves.[ For the second straight year, he was awarded with the ]Trevor Hoffman National League Reliever of the Year
Major League Baseball (MLB) annually honors its best relief pitchers in the American League (AL) and National League (NL) with the Mariano Rivera AL Reliever of the Year Award and Trevor Hoffman NL Reliever of the Year Award, respectively. The awa ...
Award.
Jansen started the playoffs by finishing all three games of the Dodgers 2017 NLDS
The 2017 National League Division Series were two best-of-five-game series to determine the participating teams of the 2017 National League Championship Series. The three divisional winners (seeded 1–3) and a fourth team—the winner of a one ...
sweep of the Diamondbacks. He saved two of the games and did not allow an earned run in innings.[ He pitched innings over four games in the ]2017 NLCS
The 2017 National League Championship Series was a Playoff format#Best-of-seven playoff, best-of-seven playoff pitting the Los Angeles Dodgers against the defending World Series champion Chicago Cubs for the National League pennant and the right ...
against the Cubs and did not allow a batter to reach base, while striking out eight.[ Jansen allowed two runs to score, including a solo homer by ]Marwin González
Marwin Javier González (born March 14, 1989) is a Venezuelan professional baseball utility player for the Orix Buffaloes of Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB). González was signed as an international free agent by the Chicago Cubs in 2005. He ...
in Game Two of the 2017 World Series
The 2017 World Series was the championship series of Major League Baseball's (MLB) 2017 season. The 113th edition of the World Series, it was a best-of-seven playoff played between the National League (NL) champion Los Angeles Dodgers and ...
against the Houston Astros
The Houston Astros are an American professional baseball team based in Houston, Texas. The Astros compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) West division, having moved to the division in 2013 after ...
. It was his first blown save in the postseason and snapped his MLB record of converting his first 12 post-season save opportunities. In Game Five of the series, he picked up the loss in the Dodgers 10 inning defeat. In his second inning of work, he hit Brian McCann with two outs and then after a walk, he gave up a walk-off single to Alex Bregman
Alexander David Bregman (born March 30, 1994) is an American professional baseball third baseman and shortstop for the Houston Astros of Major League Baseball (MLB).
As a high school sophomore at Albuquerque Academy in 2010, Bregman became the ...
. Overall, he pitched innings over six games, with two saves and three runs allowed as the Dodgers lost the series in seven games.[
]
2018
Jansen was bothered by an injury during spring training and was slow-played after his 2017 workload, resulting in two blown saves during a shaky April. He turned it around in May, June and July and was chosen for his third straight all-star game
An all-star game is an exhibition game that purports to showcase the best players (the "stars") of a sports league. The exhibition is between two teams organized solely for the event, usually representing the league's teams based on region or d ...
in 2018.
Jansen's heart problems resurfaced during a four-game set in Colorado, and Jansen was placed on the 10-day disabled list with an irregular heartbeat. He struggled upon returning, losing his first two games back and blowing a save in his third. He struggled for the rest of the season. He finished the season with a 1–5 record, 3.01 ERA and 38 saves.[
He was effective against ]Atlanta
Atlanta ( ) is the capital and most populous city of the U.S. state of Georgia. It is the seat of Fulton County, the most populous county in Georgia, but its territory falls in both Fulton and DeKalb counties. With a population of 498,71 ...
and Milwaukee
Milwaukee ( ), officially the City of Milwaukee, is both the most populous and most densely populated city in the U.S. state of Wisconsin and the county seat of Milwaukee County, Wisconsin, Milwaukee County. With a population of 577,222 at th ...
in the postseason, not allowing a run,[ but again struggled in the ]2018 World Series
The 2018 World Series was the championship series of Major League Baseball's 2018 season. The 114th edition of the World Series, it was a best-of-seven playoff played between the American League (AL) champion Boston Red Sox and the National Lea ...
, blowing two save opportunities as he allowed game-tying home runs to Jackie Bradley Jr. in Game 3 (which went 18 innings) and Steve Pearce in Game 4 as the Dodgers lost the series to the Boston Red Sox
The Boston Red Sox are an American professional baseball team based in Boston. The Red Sox compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) East division. Founded in as one of the American League's eig ...
in five games.
2019
On April 7, 2019, Jansen recorded a four-out save against the Colorado Rockies
The Colorado Rockies are an American professional baseball team based in Denver. The Rockies compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) West division. The team plays its home baseball games at Coors Fi ...
at Coors Field
Coors Field is a baseball stadium in downtown Denver, Colorado. It is the home field of Major League Baseball's Colorado Rockies. Opened in 1995, the park is located in Denver's Lower Downtown neighborhood, two blocks from Union Station. The sta ...
in Denver
Denver () is a consolidated city and county, the capital, and most populous city of the U.S. state of Colorado. Its population was 715,522 at the 2020 census, a 19.22% increase since 2010. It is the 19th-most populous city in the United ...
. On May 3 and 4, Jansen converted saves against the San Diego Padres. But on May 5, pitching for the third day in a row, Jansen walked a batter and allowed two bunt singles to load the bases with no outs. He retired the next two hitters before he gave up a walk-off grand slam to Hunter Renfroe
Dustin Hunter Renfroe (born January 28, 1992) is an American professional baseball outfielder for the Los Angeles Angels of Major League Baseball (MLB). He has previously played in MLB for the San Diego Padres, Tampa Bay Rays, Boston Red Sox, ...
, as the Dodgers lost 8–5.
Jansen recorded two extended saves in a series against the Mets, with a 5-out save in the first game of the series and a 4-out save in the fourth game.[ This was his first five-out save since June 2018 in Pittsburgh. He debuted the intentional ]balk
In baseball, a pitcher can commit a number of illegal motions or actions that constitute a balk. Most of these violations involve pitchers pretending to pitch when they have no intention of doing so. In games played under the Official Baseball R ...
in the top of the ninth against the Chicago Cubs
The Chicago Cubs are an American professional baseball team based in Chicago. The Cubs compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as part of the National League (NL) Central division. The club plays its home games at Wrigley Field, which is locate ...
on June 15, 2019. The intentional balk was an idea he came up with bench coach Bob Geren
Robert Peter Geren (born September 22, 1961) is an American former professional baseball catcher and manager, who played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the New York Yankees (–) and San Diego Padres (). Geren managed the Oakland Athletics fr ...
, in which he has a runner on second and two outs and balks the runner to third to prevent the runner from stealing signs
In baseball, sign stealing is the act of observing the signs being signaled by the opposing catcher to the pitcher or a coach, and the subsequent relaying of those signals to members of one's own team. Sign stealing is done with the intent of g ...
. On September 25, in a game against the San Diego Padres
The San Diego Padres are an American professional baseball team based in San Diego. The Padres compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) West division. Founded in 1969, the club has won two NL penna ...
, Jansen picked up his 300th career save, becoming the 30th pitcher all time and the first in Dodgers history. He pitched in 62 games, with a 5–3 record and 33 saves, but a career-high ERA of 3.71.[
In the ]2019 NLDS
The 2019 National League Division Series were two best-of-five-games series in Major League Baseball (MLB) to determine the participating teams of the 2019 National League Championship Series. The three divisional winners, seeded first through thi ...
, Jansen pitched to five batters and did not allow any of them to reach base.[
]
2020
Jansen was late reporting to camp after the pandemic-imposed shutdown, suffering with a COVID-19
Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is a contagious disease caused by a virus, the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The first known case was identified in Wuhan, China, in December 2019. The disease quickl ...
infection, which affected his conditioning during the shutdown. He appeared in 24.1 innings over 27 games during the season, with a 3–1 record and a 3.33 ERA with 11 saves (3rd in the NL), while leading the National League with 24 games finished.[ Jansen pitched one scoreless inning in the first game of the Wild Card Series to pick up the save and in the NLDS he allowed two runs to score in innings. He picked up a save and pitched three perfect innings over three games in the ]NLCS
The National League Championship Series (NLCS) is a best-of-seven playoff and one of two League Championship Series comprising the penultimate round of Major League Baseball's (MLB) postseason. It is contested by the winners of the two National ...
. In Game 4 of the 2020 World Series
The 2020 World Series was the championship series of Major League Baseball's 2020 season. The 116th World Series was a best-of-seven-playoff between the American League (AL) champion Tampa Bay Rays and the National League (NL) champion Los Ang ...
against the Tampa Bay Rays
The Tampa Bay Rays are an American professional baseball team based in St. Petersburg, Florida. The Rays compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) East division. Since its inception, the team's home v ...
, Jansen blew his fourth career World Series save, setting a new World Series record.
2021
On August 25, Jansen became the twelfth reliever in MLB history to record 1,000 strikeouts by striking out Austin Nola
Austin Kyle Nola (born December 28, 1989) is an American professional baseball catcher for the San Diego Padres of Major League Baseball (MLB). He previously played in MLB for the Seattle Mariners.
Nola was born and raised in Baton Rouge, Louis ...
of the San Diego Padres
The San Diego Padres are an American professional baseball team based in San Diego. The Padres compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) West division. Founded in 1969, the club has won two NL penna ...
. Jansen finished the 2021 season with 38 saves, a 2.22 ERA and 86 strikeouts in 69 innings.[ In the ]National League Wild Card Game
The Wild Card Series (formerly known as Wild Card Game from 2012 to 2019 and in 2021) are games that serve as the opening round of the Major League Baseball (MLB) postseason. A single wild card game was first instituted in 2012; best-of-three ...
against the St. Louis Cardinals, he struck out three batters in a scoreless ninth inning to record the win and in the 2021 NLDS
The 2021 National League Division Series were two best-of-five-games series in Major League Baseball (MLB) to determine the participating teams of the 2021 National League Championship Series. The three divisional winners, seeded first through thir ...
, he struck out five of the six batters he faced in his two innings of work.[ In the ]2021 NLCS
The 2021 National League Championship Series was the best-of-seven series in Major League Baseball (MLB) between the Atlanta Braves and the Los Angeles Dodgers, for the National League pennant and the right to play in the 2021 World Series. The B ...
, played against the Atlanta Braves
The Atlanta Braves are an American professional baseball team based in the Atlanta metropolitan area. The Braves compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) East division. The Braves were founded in B ...
, Jansen, pitched in five of the six games, allowing two hits and one walk while striking out six and recording the save in Game 3.
Atlanta Braves (2022)
Jansen signed a one-year contract worth $16 million with the Atlanta Braves
The Atlanta Braves are an American professional baseball team based in the Atlanta metropolitan area. The Braves compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) East division. The Braves were founded in B ...
on March 18, 2022. He made his Braves debut on April 8, surrendering 3 earned runs in the 9th inning against the Cincinnati Reds
The Cincinnati Reds are an American professional baseball team based in Cincinnati. They compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) National League Central, Central division and were a charter member of ...
in a non-save situation. On April 19, Jansen returned to Dodger Stadium
Dodger Stadium is a baseball stadium in the Elysian Park neighborhood of Los Angeles, California. It is the home stadium of Major League Baseball's Los Angeles Dodgers. Opened in 1962, it was constructed in less than three years at a cost of ...
and was met with a mixture of cheers and boos from Dodger fans as he entered the game. He collected the save against his former team, retiring former Brave Freddie Freeman
Frederick Charles Freeman (born September 12, 1989) is an American-Canadian professional baseball first baseman for the Los Angeles Dodgers of Major League Baseball (MLB). Previously, Freeman played for the Atlanta Braves for 12 seasons. He mad ...
for the final out of the game.
Boston Red Sox
On December 13, 2022, Jansen signed a two-year contract with the Boston Red Sox
The Boston Red Sox are an American professional baseball team based in Boston. The Red Sox compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) East division. Founded in as one of the American League's eig ...
.
International career
Jansen has represented the Netherlands
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, anthem = ( en, "William of Nassau")
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, subdivision_type = Sovereign state
, subdivision_name = Kingdom of the Netherlands
, established_title = Before independence
, established_date = Spanish Netherl ...
at three of the four World Baseball Classic's. In 2009, he was the starting catcher for the Netherlands
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, anthem = ( en, "William of Nassau")
, image_map =
, map_caption =
, subdivision_type = Sovereign state
, subdivision_name = Kingdom of the Netherlands
, established_title = Before independence
, established_date = Spanish Netherl ...
team in the World Baseball Classic
The World Baseball Classic (WBC) is an international baseball tournament sanctioned from 2006 to 2013 by the International Baseball Federation (IBAF) and after 2013 by World Baseball Softball Confederation (WBSC) in partnership with Major Leagu ...
. In the Netherlands' upset of the favored Dominican Republic
The Dominican Republic ( ; es, República Dominicana, ) is a country located on the island of Hispaniola in the Greater Antilles archipelago of the Caribbean region. It occupies the eastern five-eighths of the island, which it shares with ...
team, Jansen threw out Willy Taveras on an attempted steal of third base in the ninth inning, a key play in the game. Jansen was a late addition to the Netherlands national baseball team
The Netherlands national baseball team is the national baseball team of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, representing the country in international men's baseball. They are currently ranked as the best team in the WBSC Europe, and the team is als ...
for the 2013 World Baseball Classic
The 2013 World Baseball Classic (WBC) was an international professional baseball competition, held from March 2 to March 19, 2013. This was the third iteration of the WBC, following the two previous tournaments, held in 2006 and 2009.
Unlike ...
, he had transitioned to pitching in late 2009, he was added to the roster for the semi-finals but did not appear in the game.
After initially saying he would not pitch in the 2017 tournament, having signed a five-year $80 million contract with the Dodgers
The Los Angeles Dodgers are an American professional baseball team based in Los Angeles. The Dodgers compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) West division. Established in 1883 in the city of Brooklyn ...
in the offseason, Jansen again joined the team when they advanced to the semi finals. Jansen appeared in the team's game against Team Puerto Rico, which including Dodgers teammate Kiké Hernandez. Jansen pitched a scoreless 9th inning, striking out two, but team Netherlands lost on a walk off sacrifice fly in the 11th inning.
Pitching style
Jansen relies almost exclusively on a cut fastball that mostly ranges from 90 to 94 miles per hour (mph). Earlier in his career, he was able to throw the pitch at 98 mph, and he exceeded 100 mph in 2014. In 2012, he used this pitch about 93% of the time. His other main pitch is a slider in the low to mid 80s. He experimented with a changeup
A changeup is a type of pitch in baseball and fastpitch softball.
The changeup is a staple off-speed pitch often used in a pitcher's arsenal, usually thrown to look like a fastball but arriving much more slowly to the plate. Its reduced speed ...
in the 2009–2011 seasons and debuted a four-seam fastball at the end of the 2012 season. He now throws four-seamer 92–96. Jansen relies both on movement and exceptional command, throwing over 70% strikes.
Jansen has recorded extremely high strikeout rates, garnering 14.6 strikeouts per 9 innings pitched through the 2012 season. This is the second-highest total in history among pitchers who have thrown at least 140 innings (behind only Craig Kimbrel).
Health issues
Jansen was diagnosed in 2011 with an irregular heartbeat
Arrhythmias, also known as cardiac arrhythmias, heart arrhythmias, or dysrhythmias, are irregularities in the heartbeat, including when it is too fast or too slow. A resting heart rate that is too fast – above 100 beats per minute in adults ...
(specifically, atrial fibrillation), and he missed some time that season while he was placed on blood thinners
Anticoagulants, commonly known as blood thinners, are chemical substances that prevent or reduce coagulation of blood, prolonging the clotting time. Some of them occur naturally in blood-eating animals such as leeches and mosquitoes, where t ...
to prevent clots. The problem resurfaced late in the 2012 season, and he again missed considerable time while being treated. On October 24, 2012, Jansen underwent a 3-hour catheter ablation
Catheter ablation is a procedure used to remove or terminate a faulty electrical pathway from sections of the heart of those who are prone to developing cardiac arrhythmias such as atrial fibrillation, atrial flutter and Wolff-Parkinson-White syn ...
procedure in which Koonwalee Nademanee identified abnormal tissue in his left atrium
The atrium ( la, ātrium, , entry hall) is one of two upper chambers in the heart that receives blood from the circulatory system. The blood in the atria is pumped into the heart ventricles through the atrioventricular valves.
There are two ...
and cauterized it to stop it from generating abnormal electrical signals.
Jansen suffered a recurrence of his irregular heartbeat prior to a game in Denver
Denver () is a consolidated city and county, the capital, and most populous city of the U.S. state of Colorado. Its population was 715,522 at the 2020 census, a 19.22% increase since 2010. It is the 19th-most populous city in the United ...
on August 9, 2018. He was placed on the 10-day disabled list and the team reported he would likely miss a month of the season. Doctors determined the condition could be controlled with medication until the offseason, so Jansen returned to the hill just 11 days later. However, the heart medication he took, which included beta blocker
Beta blockers, also spelled β-blockers, are a class of medications that are predominantly used to manage abnormal heart rhythms, and to protect the heart from a second heart attack after a first heart attack ( secondary prevention). They are ...
s, had the side effects of leaving him feeling fatigued and unemotional. He gave up four home runs in his first two outings back, blowing both save opportunities, and after he protested the effects of his medication his doctors switched him to aspirin. Jansen stayed in Los Angeles when the Dodgers returned to Denver in September because he was at high risk of a stroke if he returned to elevation. Jansen completed the season and provided scoreless relief in seven of nine postseason appearances, allowing two runs in 10.2 innings (1.69 ERA).
On November 26, 2018, Jansen underwent a -hour heart ablation procedure, again performed by Koonlawee Nademanee, in Los Angeles. After the procedure the doctor told Jansen that small veins near the site of his 2012 procedure had grown and were agitated by dehydration
In physiology, dehydration is a lack of total body water, with an accompanying disruption of metabolic processes. It occurs when free water loss exceeds free water intake, usually due to exercise, disease, or high environmental temperature. Mi ...
, which caused the irregular signals that occurred in Denver. Jansen dedicated himself to a healthier diet after recovering from the operation and reported to spring training 25 pounds lighter. He no longer has to take blood-thinning medication.
On July 12, 2020, Jansen reported to summer training camp for the first time after recovering from COVID-19
Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is a contagious disease caused by a virus, the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The first known case was identified in Wuhan, China, in December 2019. The disease quickl ...
.
In June 2022, Jansen again dealt with an irregular heartbeat.
Personal life
Jansen spends most of his off-season break back home in Curaçao.[ Kenley is married to a Curaçao native named Gianni Jansen - Fransisca. He has two daughters, Natalia Hannah Jansen, who was born on March 16, 2013, and Key’Gia Keziah Jansen born on September 12, 2021 and two sons, Kaden Isaiah Jansen, born on August 16, 2015, and Kyrian Jeremiah Jansen, born on August 22, 2018. He throws right-handed but writes with his left hand.] A local team in Curaçao, the Wildcats, have renamed themselves in honor of Jansen, and competed in the Latin American Series as Wildcats KJ74.
See also
* List of Los Angeles Dodgers team records
* List of Major League Baseball career games finished leaders
* List of Major League Baseball career saves leaders
In baseball statistics, a relief pitcher is credited with a save (denoted by SV) who finishes a game for the winning team under certain prescribed circumstances. Most commonly a pitcher earns a save by entering in the ninth inning of a game in w ...
* List of Major League Baseball players from the Netherlands Antilles
* Los Angeles Dodgers award winners and league leaders
References
External links
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Jansen, Kenley
1987 births
2009 World Baseball Classic players
2013 World Baseball Classic players
2017 World Baseball Classic players
Albuquerque Isotopes players
Atlanta Braves players
Baseball catchers
Chattanooga Lookouts players
Curaçao baseball players
Curaçao expatriate baseball players in the United States
Dutch people of Curaçao descent
Great Lakes Loons players
Gulf Coast Dodgers players
Inland Empire 66ers of San Bernardino players
Living people
Los Angeles Dodgers players
Major League Baseball pitchers
Major League Baseball players from Curaçao
National League All-Stars
National League saves champions
North Shore Honu players
Ogden Raptors players
People from Willemstad
Peoria Javelinas players
Rancho Cucamonga Quakes players
West Oahu Canefires players