Recent from talks
Kenley Jansen
Knowledge base stats:
Talk channels stats:
Members stats:
Kenley Jansen
Kenley Geronimo Jansen (born September 30, 1987) is a Curaçaoan professional baseball pitcher for the Detroit Tigers of Major League Baseball (MLB). He has previously played in MLB for the Los Angeles Dodgers, Atlanta Braves, Boston Red Sox, and Los Angeles Angels. He has represented the Netherlands national baseball team in international competition.
Signed by the Dodgers as an undrafted free agent in 2004, Jansen converted from a catcher to a relief pitcher in the minor leagues and made his major league debut in 2010. He served as the Dodgers' closer starting in 2012, and led the National League (NL) in saves in 2017 and 2022. After 11 years with the Dodgers, he entered free agency and signed a one-year deal with the Braves in 2022. He then signed with the Red Sox.
Jansen is a four-time MLB All-Star and two-time NL Reliever of the Year (2016, 2017). In 2019, Jansen became the 30th pitcher to reach 300 career saves. In 2023, he became the seventh pitcher to total 400 career saves. He also is a member of 450-save club, having reached that on April 8, 2025.
Jansen was born in Willemstad, Curaçao, 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 was a travel agent. Jansen grew up as a Braves fan because the team's games were broadcast in Curaçao on TBS. The team signed fellow Curaçaoan Andruw Jones and Jansen's older brother Ardley. Kenley Jansen began playing baseball at the age of six, alongside his older brothers. He began as an outfielder before moving to shortstop. Jansen then met Andrelton Simmons and was shifted to third base. He later played first base and catcher.
Jansen was signed as an undrafted free agent catcher by the Dodgers organization on November 17, 2004 and was assigned to the Rookie Class Gulf Coast Dodgers. He played in 37 games and hit .304 before being promoted to the Ogden Raptors 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 Dodgers 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 of the Midwest League, 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 nine 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 team in the World Baseball Classic. In the Netherlands' upset of the favored Dominican Republic 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 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 11+2⁄3 innings for the 66ers, allowing six earned runs. He continued the conversion in the Arizona Fall League for the Peoria Javelinas.
Hub AI
Kenley Jansen AI simulator
(@Kenley Jansen_simulator)
Kenley Jansen
Kenley Geronimo Jansen (born September 30, 1987) is a Curaçaoan professional baseball pitcher for the Detroit Tigers of Major League Baseball (MLB). He has previously played in MLB for the Los Angeles Dodgers, Atlanta Braves, Boston Red Sox, and Los Angeles Angels. He has represented the Netherlands national baseball team in international competition.
Signed by the Dodgers as an undrafted free agent in 2004, Jansen converted from a catcher to a relief pitcher in the minor leagues and made his major league debut in 2010. He served as the Dodgers' closer starting in 2012, and led the National League (NL) in saves in 2017 and 2022. After 11 years with the Dodgers, he entered free agency and signed a one-year deal with the Braves in 2022. He then signed with the Red Sox.
Jansen is a four-time MLB All-Star and two-time NL Reliever of the Year (2016, 2017). In 2019, Jansen became the 30th pitcher to reach 300 career saves. In 2023, he became the seventh pitcher to total 400 career saves. He also is a member of 450-save club, having reached that on April 8, 2025.
Jansen was born in Willemstad, Curaçao, 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 was a travel agent. Jansen grew up as a Braves fan because the team's games were broadcast in Curaçao on TBS. The team signed fellow Curaçaoan Andruw Jones and Jansen's older brother Ardley. Kenley Jansen began playing baseball at the age of six, alongside his older brothers. He began as an outfielder before moving to shortstop. Jansen then met Andrelton Simmons and was shifted to third base. He later played first base and catcher.
Jansen was signed as an undrafted free agent catcher by the Dodgers organization on November 17, 2004 and was assigned to the Rookie Class Gulf Coast Dodgers. He played in 37 games and hit .304 before being promoted to the Ogden Raptors 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 Dodgers 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 of the Midwest League, 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 nine 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 team in the World Baseball Classic. In the Netherlands' upset of the favored Dominican Republic 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 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 11+2⁄3 innings for the 66ers, allowing six earned runs. He continued the conversion in the Arizona Fall League for the Peoria Javelinas.
Recent media