One Kenley Jansen Stat Proves Detroit Tigers Need New Closer
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The Detroit Tigers were one pitch, one out away from ending their seven-game losing streak, but once again, it wasn't in the stars.
Holding a 3-2 lead going into the ninth inning of Game 1 of their doubleheader with Baltimore on Sunday, manager A.J. Hinch asked Kenley Jansen to get a four-out save (entered in the bottom eighth) to end the game.
Jansen had been pitching well for Detroit, believe it or not, though he wasn't in situations where they needed a save. Going into the game, Jansen pitched in six innings and struck out 10 batters, but the Baltimore Orioles had other plans for how game one of the doubleheader would end.
Concerning Jansen Statistic
Tigers president of baseball operations Scott Harris signed Jansen to a one-year deal this offseason with the hope that he would still have enough in the tank to get the job done. Jansen was open to pitching in any inning for the Tigers, but has become the mainstay in the closer role for Hinch and company.
He's one of the most prestigious closers Major League Baseball has ever seen, but Father Time looks as if it's caught up to him. That is apparent in a concerning statistic that no closing pitcher wants to see next to their name.
Jansen has now blown four saves this season for Detroit, allowing three of the four saves as walk-offs. The real concern is that he's blown four saves in 17 games per Just_BB Media on X (formerly Twitter), having only blown one save in 2025 as part of the Los Angeles Angels in 62 games.
The last time that Jansen has blown four saves in a season came back between 2023 and 2024, allowing four blown saves in 51(2023) and 54 (2024) games. The most blown saves in his career came back in 2019 with the Los Angeles Dodgers, blowing eight saves in 62 games.
Will Vest has returned from the injured list and has looked much better than he did before we went on the injured list. In his recent outings, including game one against Baltimore, he has pitched in three innings, allowing one run, two hits, and striking out three, lowering his ERA to 5.52.
If Vest continues to pitch this way, Hinch might just have to send him out to be the closing pitcher for this franchise, making Kenley take the seventh or eighth, splitting the innings with Kyle Finnegan.
Vest had 23 saves last season, but did blow seven of them. So far this season, before his stint on the injured list, Vest has blown two saves.
Detroit must change things because the trajectory of making the playoffs continues to deplete day by day.
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Dominic Minchella is a 2024 Eastern Michigan University graduate with a BA in Communications, Media, and Theatre Arts and a Journalism minor. He covers Major League Baseball for On SI and spends his free time watching games and sharing his insights.