Former Los Angeles Dodgers closer Kenley Jansen recorded his 400th career save on Wednesday night when he pitched the final inning of a 5-2 victory for the Boston Red Sox against the Atlanta Braves at Truist Park.
With 400 saves, Jansen became the seventh pitcher in MLB history to reach that mark since it became an official MLB stat in 1969. He joined Mariano Rivera (652 saves), Trevor Hoffman (601), Lee Smith (478), Francisco Rodríguez (437), John Franco (424) and Billy Wagner (422).
Following the accomplishment, some of his former Dodgers teammates were part of a congratulatory video shown in the Red Sox clubhouse, which also featured messages from Jansen’s family and friends.
The video included a trio of Jansen’s former catchers with the Dodgers: A.J. Ellis, Austin Barnes and Russell Martin. Clayton Kershaw also shared a message, as well as current Red Sox teammates Justin Turner and Kiké Hernandez, who won a World Series with Jansen on the Dodgers as well.
A moment Kenley will never forget. ❤️ pic.twitter.com/BpnD8jZHhr
— Red Sox (@RedSox) May 11, 2023
Jansen originally signed with the Dodgers as an international free-agent catcher out of Curaçao before converting to a relief role. He made his MLB debut with L.A. in 2010 and remained with the team through the 2021 season.
Over his 12 seasons with the Dodgers, Jansen recorded 350 of his career saves, en route to becoming the franchise’s all-time leader when he passed Eric Gagné in 2016.
Jansen pitched 705 of his 780.2 innings with the Dodgers, posting a 2.37 ERA and 0.93 WHIP. He also led the National League in saves during the 2017 season with 41, which was one of three seasons in L.A. where he reached the 40-save mark.
Jansen earned three consecutive trips to the All-Star game from 2016-18 and helped the Dodgers win the 2020 World Series.
The right-hander had interest in remaining with the Dodgers following the 2021 season, but he signed a one-year contract with the Braves, where he recorded 41 saves. He then signed a two-year, $32 million contract with the Red Sox this past offseason.
Kenley Jansen thanks former Dodgers pitching coaches and staff
When reflecting on his milestone during a postgame interview with NESN, Jansen thanked former Dodgers pitching coach Rick Honeycutt, Charlie Hough, De Jon Watson and others from the organization who were instrumental in converting him to a relief pitcher.
Have you subscribed to the Dodger Blue YouTube channel? Be sure to ring the notification bell to watch player interviews, participate in shows and giveaways, and stay up to date on all Dodgers news and rumors!
