Dodgers and Trusting Kenley Jansen

One Year Ago

Jansen"s 2018 season was one that he"d like to have back. Despite being named an All Star for the third time, he struggled mightily in the second half. Much of his struggles were attributed to a heart issue that resurfaced shortly after the all-star break. During a four game series with Colorado, the Dodgers placed Jansen on the 10-day disabled list with an irregular heartbeat. Upon returning, Kenley struggled to find his groove before postseason baseball began. He did manage to pitch well in the NLDS and NLCS against the Atlanta Braves and Milwaukee Brewers. However, once the World Series got underway, Jansen was ineffective against the Boston Red Sox. He blew two save opportunities in that World Series as Boston took home another trophy in a 4-1 series victory.

Strong Start in 2019

Kenley Jansen"s 2019 season got off to a fairly strong start. He was by no means dominant, but being able to start the season healthy was a major positive for Jansen and LA. In save opportunities Jansen was close to perfection early on. Through June, Jansen locked down 22/25 save chances for Los Angeles. The fact that Jansen was missing bats with regularity was another good sign for him and the Dodgers. Through the season"s first three months, Kenley racked up 46 strikeouts in 34 2/3 innings pitched. That was good enough for nearly 12 strikeouts per 9 innings. His 3.12 ERA may not have jumped off the page, but it was an encouraging sign for a Dodgers team that was already running away with the NL West. Though, as the calendar turned to July, Dodgers fans would begin to wonder how much they could trust Kenley Jansen.

Summer Swoon

July through September proved to be Jansen"s worst nightmare. In July, Jansen pitched to a bloated 5.68 ERA where he surrendered 12 baserunners and five earned runs in eight innings. Things did not improve much in August as Jansen posted a 5.00 ERA in the month, while also serving up three homers across nine inning. All in all, Kenly Jansen has blown five of 12 save opportunities since July 3rd. That includes one on Wednesday night at home vs the Tampa Bay Rays. Since July, Jansen"s seen his ERA and WHIP jump significantly. He now carries a 3.81 ERA and eight blown saves on the season. Kenley Jansen"s 2019 save percentage is now down to 78.9%. This is a big reason why the Dodger"s team save percentage ranks 19th in baseball.

Can You Trust Him?

To what extent can you trust Kenley Jansen in a big playoff moment? This is a question that all Dodgers fans are beginning to ask themselves with each passing day. For a team that locked up the NL West more than a week ago, a blown save against Tampa might not be a gut punch. Though, Jansen cannot let it happen again like it did in the 2018 Fall Classic. If it does, LA may have to make a ninth inning switch sooner rather than later. The Dodgers have plenty of reason to believe that Jansen can dial it up in October. No matter what, baseball fans will soon find out how much Jansen is to be trusted this October.

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