Career Timeline of Kenley Jansen: Major Achievements and Milestones

From career breakthroughs to professional milestones, explore how Kenley Jansen made an impact.

Kenley Jansen is a professional baseball pitcher from Curaçao, currently playing for the Los Angeles Angels in MLB. He previously played for the Los Angeles Dodgers, Atlanta Braves, and Boston Red Sox. He is known for his cutter, which he developed into one of the most dominant pitches in baseball. Jansen has been a multiple-time All-Star and holds the Dodgers' franchise record for career saves. He is one of the prominent closers in recent MLB history.

Sections (3)

Full Timeline Career & Achievements Success & Recognition

November 17, 2004: Signed by Dodgers Organization

On November 17, 2004, Kenley Jansen was signed as an undrafted free agent catcher by the Dodgers organization and was assigned to the Rookie Class Gulf Coast Dodgers.

2004: Signed by the Dodgers

In 2004, Kenley Jansen was signed as an undrafted free agent by the Los Angeles Dodgers.

2007: Split Season Between Raptors and Loons

In 2007, Kenley Jansen split his season between the Ogden Raptors and the Class-A Great Lakes Loons of the Midwest League, hitting .207 in 73 games.

2008: Played with Great Lakes Loons

In 2008, Kenley Jansen played with the Great Lakes Loons, hitting .227 with 9 home runs in 79 games. He was also selected to the mid-season Midwest League All-Star game.

November 19, 2009: Added to Dodgers 40-Man Roster

On November 19, 2009, Kenley Jansen was added to the Los Angeles Dodgers 40-man roster.

2009: World Baseball Classic and Minor League Season

In 2009, Kenley Jansen was the starting catcher for the Netherlands team in the World Baseball Classic, where he played a key role in an upset win against the Dominican Republic. He also played for the Inland Empire 66ers and the Triple-A Albuquerque Isotopes during the 2009 season.

2009: Experimenting with Changeup in 2009

In the 2009 season, Kenley Jansen experimented with a changeup.

2009: Position Change to Pitcher

In the second half of the 2009 season, the Dodgers organization convinced Kenley Jansen to switch from catcher to pitcher due to his offensive struggles. He began working with Charlie Hough to make the conversion, pitching for the Inland Empire 66ers and later in the Arizona Fall League for the Peoria Javelinas.

May 15, 2010: Promoted to Double-A Chattanooga

On May 15, 2010, Kenley Jansen was promoted to the Double-A Chattanooga Lookouts, where he was selected for the mid-season Southern League All-Star Game.

July 23, 2010: Promotion to the Dodgers

On July 23, 2010, Kenley Jansen was promoted to the Los Angeles Dodgers.

2010: First Major League Season

In 2010, Kenley Jansen appeared in 25 games for the Dodgers, recording a 1–0 record, a 0.67 ERA, and four saves.

2010: MLB Debut

In 2010, Kenley Jansen made his Major League Baseball debut for the Los Angeles Dodgers after converting from a catcher to a relief pitcher in the minor leagues.

2011: Key Member of Bullpen

In 2011, Kenley Jansen became a key member of the Dodgers' bullpen, achieving a 2–1 record with a 2.85 ERA and five saves. He also set a new Major League season record with 16+1⁄3 strikeouts per nine innings.

2011: Experimenting with Changeup in 2011

In the 2011 season, Kenley Jansen experimented with a changeup.

May 2012: Named Dodgers' Closer

In May 2012, Kenley Jansen took over as the Dodgers' closer after Javy Guerra struggled in the role. Jansen was later replaced as closer by Brandon League due to heart problems. He finished the season with a 5–3 record, 2.35 ERA, 99 strikeouts, and 25 saves.

2012: Dodgers' Closer

In 2012, Kenley Jansen became the Los Angeles Dodgers' closer.

2012: Pitch Usage and New Fastball in 2012

In 2012, Kenley Jansen primarily relied on his cut fastball, using it about 93% of the time. He also debuted a four-seam fastball at the end of the 2012 season.

2012: High Strikeout Rate in 2012

Through the 2012 season, Kenley Jansen achieved an extremely high strikeout rate of 14.6 strikeouts per 9 innings pitched, ranking as the second-highest in history among pitchers with at least 140 innings.

2013: Resumed Closer Role

In 2013, Kenley Jansen began the season as the setup man but resumed the role of closer when Brandon League struggled. He finished the season with a 4–3 record, a 1.88 ERA, and 28 saves.

February 11, 2014: Contract with the Dodgers

On February 11, 2014, Kenley Jansen avoided his first arbitration hearing by signing a $4.3 million contract with the Dodgers.

2014: Pitching Style in 2014

In 2014, Kenley Jansen's cut fastball exceeded 100 mph.

January 16, 2015: Avoided Arbitration

On January 16, 2015, Kenley Jansen avoided arbitration by signing a one-year $7.425 million contract with the Dodgers.

January 15, 2016: Signed a Contract with the Dodgers

On January 15, 2016, Kenley Jansen signed a one-year, $10.65 million contract with the Dodgers in his final year of arbitration.

January 10, 2017: Re-signing with the Dodgers

On January 10, 2017, the Dodgers announced that they had re-signed Kenley Jansen to a five-year, $80 million contract.

2017: NL Saves Leader

In 2017, Kenley Jansen led the National League (NL) in saves.

June 2018: Prior Extended Save

Kenley Jansen's five-out save in a series against the Mets was his first since June 2018 in Pittsburgh.

April 7, 2019: Four-Out Save

On April 7, 2019, Kenley Jansen recorded a four-out save against the Colorado Rockies at Coors Field in Denver.

June 15, 2019: Debuted Intentional Balk

On June 15, 2019, Kenley Jansen debuted the intentional balk in a game against the Chicago Cubs. This strategy, developed with bench coach Bob Geren, involves balking a runner from second to third base with two outs to prevent sign stealing.

2020: 2020 Season Performance

In 2020, Kenley Jansen's season was impacted by a COVID-19 infection, affecting his conditioning. Despite this, he pitched 24.1 innings over 27 games, achieving a 3–1 record with a 3.33 ERA and 11 saves, ranking third in the National League. He also led the league with 24 games finished. In the postseason, he had mixed results, including blowing a save in Game 4 of the 2020 World Series against the Tampa Bay Rays, setting a new World Series record.

2021: 2021 Season and Postseason Performance

In 2021, Kenley Jansen achieved his 1,000th strikeout, finishing the season with 38 saves, a 2.22 ERA, and 86 strikeouts in 69 innings. During the postseason, in the National League Wild Card Game against the St. Louis Cardinals, he secured a win with a scoreless ninth inning, and he also pitched in five of the six games in the 2021 NLCS against the Atlanta Braves, recording a save in Game 3.

March 18, 2022: Signs with the Atlanta Braves

On March 18, 2022, Kenley Jansen signed a one-year contract worth $16 million with the Atlanta Braves.

December 13, 2022: Signs with the Boston Red Sox

On December 13, 2022, Kenley Jansen signed a two-year contract with the Boston Red Sox.

2022: Signed with Braves

In 2022, after 11 years with the Dodgers, Kenley Jansen entered free agency and signed a one-year deal with the Atlanta Braves. He later signed with the Red Sox.

May 10, 2023: Reaches 400 Saves

On May 10, 2023, Kenley Jansen became the seventh pitcher in MLB history to record 400 saves.

2024: 2024 Season Performance

In 2024, Kenley Jansen began the season as Boston's closer and earned his 425th career save on April 20, passing John Franco for fifth place on the all-time list. Jansen finished the 2024 season with 27 saves, a 3.29 ERA, and 62 strikeouts in 54+2⁄3 innings.