BIG NEWS: Red Sox star pitcher joins short list of Hall of Famers in MLB history
On Wednesday, Kenley Jansen completed his 25th save of the season against the Toronto Blue Jays, cementing his place in Boston Red Sox history alongside Mariano Rivera.
The Boston Red Sox defeated the Toronto Blue Jays on Wednesday night, due in part to the speedy work of their experienced closer.
Boston lead Toronto 3-0 entering into the ninth inning, thanks to an 8.0-inning masterpiece from Brayan Bello. With the game on the line, the Blue Jays’ Nos. 9, 1, and 2 hitters came up, and Jansen relieved Bello and sealed the deal.
Jansen got rookie Will Wagner to fly out before striking out George Springer with three pitches. To conclude the game, Daulton Varsho lined out to center, as Jansen needed only six pitches to keep Toronto in order.
The Red Sox improved to 9-1 in Jansen’s past ten appearances, and the 36-year-old righty recorded his 25th save of the season.
This is the 12th time Jansen has made 25 or more saves in his career. According to TSN’s StatsCentre, this ranks him fourth in MLB history for such seasons.
The only three pitchers ahead of Jansen are Mariano Rivera (16), Trevor Hoffman (14), and Lee Smith (13). Rivera, Hoffman, and Smith are the three most recent relievers elected to the Hall of Fame, thus Jansen will be joining an exclusive company.
Jansen had previously tied for fourth with John Franco, one spot ahead of Troy Percival and Billy Wagner. Six pitchers have recorded nine seasons with 25 saves.
Most career seasons with 25 or more saves – MLB history:
16- Mariano Rivera
14- Trevor Hoffman
13- Lee Smith
12- Kenley Jansen (Thanks to closing out a @RedSox 3-0 win vs the Blue Jays earlier tonight)
11- John Franco
10- Troy Percival
10- Billy Wagner
9- Six other pitchers tied pic.twitter.com/p7XmBukOoX— StatsCentre (@StatsCentre) August 29, 2024
From 2010 to 2021, Jansen recorded 350 saves with the Los Angeles Dodgers, then in 2022, he led the National League with 41 saves as a member of the Atlanta Braves. After making his fourth career All-Star appearance with the Red Sox last year, he has continued to perform well in 2024.
With one month remaining in the season, Jansen is 3-2 with a 2.85 ERA, 1.035 WHIP, 10.3 strikeouts per nine innings, and 1.6 WAR, converting 25 of his 28 save opportunities. He has also climbed to fourth position on the MLB’s all-time saves list, with 445.
The Red Sox have one game remaining in their series against the Blue Jays on Thursday, but because Jansen pitched on Tuesday and Wednesday, he may not be available from the bullpen for the finale. The first pitch at Fenway Park is slated for 7:10 p.m. ET.
