For the second consecutive season, Los Angeles Dodgers closer Kenley Jansen was named a finalist for the Trevor Hoffman National League Reliever of the Year Award. Jansen won the award last year and was presented with the honor prior to Game 4 of the 2016 World Series.
The award, based on regular-season performance, is voted on by a panel of eight relievers: Dennis Eckersley, Rollie Fingers, John Franco, Hoffman, Mariano Rivera, Lee Smith, Bruce Sutter and Billy Wagner. Fans can also vote at MLB.com for who they believe should win the NL and Mariano Rivera American League Reliever Awards.
Jansen re-signed with Los Angeles during the offseason and proceeded to enjoy the best campaign of his career. The 30-year-old pitched to a minuscule 1.32 ERA, 1.31 FIP and 0.75 WHIP in 68.1 innings with 109 strikeouts to seven walks.
An All-Star in 2017, Jansen was tied for the NL lead in saves (41) with the Colorado Rockies’ Greg Holland. He additionally accumulated a career-best 2.9 WAR (Baseball-Reference) during the regular season and posted a perfect 5-0 record.
Thus far in the postseason, Jansen has not allowed a run in eight innings pitched, recording three saves while tallying 12 strikeouts to just one walk in the process.
Joining Jansen as finalists for the trophy are the Chicago Cubs’ Wade Davis and Milwaukee Brewers’ Corey Knebel.
Davis, in his first season with the Cubs, posted a 2.30 ERA, 3.38 FIP and 1.14 WHIP over 58.2 innings with 79 strikeouts to 28 walks.
A free agent in the offseason, Davis recorded a save against the Dodgers in Game 4 of the NL Championship Series but also allowed a home run to Justin Turner before closing out the game. That was Davis’ only appearance in the NLCS.
Knebel, who was selected to his first All-Star team in 2017, pitched to a solid 1.78 ERA, 2.53 FIP and 1.16 WHIP in 76 innings with 126 punch outs — good for 14.9 strikeouts per nine innings.
The three finalists for the Mariano Rivera AL Reliever of the Year Award are the Houston Astros’ Ken Giles, Boston Red Sox’s Craig Kimbrel and New York Yankees’ David Robertson.
