We’re counting down the top moments of 2017 and there is no better time to do so with the year coming to a close. One of the best moments of 2017 happened very quietly and quickly. It may not have been a headline story but was still a remarkable accomplishment. I’m talking about Kenley Jansen recording his 200th career save.
The big man had already become the Dodgers all-time franchise save leader during the 2016 campaign. On June 11 of 2017 he pitched an inning to notch a save as the Dodgers defeated the Reds at Chavez Ravine. Kenley become just the nineteenth hurler in MLB history to save 200 games with one franchise.
Jansen ended up saving an additional 30 games in 2017. He now has 230 career saves. He also had one of the best years of any reliever in Dodger or baseball history. Jansen posted a 1.32 ERA over 57 appearances across 68.1 innings pitched. He collected 41 saves and struck out 109 against just 7 walks. If you remember he didn’t walk a single batter until the end of June.
That means Kenley posted a 14.4 K/9 rate while allowing just 5.8 hits per nine as well. His FIP was a microscopic 1.31 and his strikeout to walk ratio was insane. It was over 15-1 in case you were wondering. Kenley finished fifth in the National League Cy Young voting and was selected to his second all-star game.
Chris Taylor accidentally threw Kenley Jansen's 200th save baseball into the stands. Jansen called it "a little disappointing."
— J.P. Hoornstra (@jphoornstra) June 11, 2017
The Dodgers relied very heavily on Kenley during their World Series run. Kenley pitched in 13 of the team’s 15 postseason games. The big man whiffed 20 and walked only 3 while recording five saves. He didn’t allow an earned run until the World Series. Despite blowing game 2, he still saved two of the Dodger’s three wins in the World Series against the Astros. It’s so rare to see a talent like Kenley. They come along only once in a generation. That’s why we should appreciate the best closer the Dodgers have ever had. This is why Kenley’s 200 save is a top moment from the 2017 season. Too bad Chris Taylor threw away the ball.
All that means nothing. He blew the most important save of the year. Of course Roberts tried to get 2 innings out of him which was 1/3 of an inning too much. Had he saved game 2, the series probably would have looked a lot different. Houston down 2-0 instead of tied going into the pivotal game 3.
I was thinking very much the same thing Michael. We needed him to be perfect. And he wasn’t. A few others on that list too. I know saying that will not sit well with a few, but that doesn’t change the facts. A great season ending with a series loss. We will remember this a long time.
Michael and Badger
That is the first thing I thought about too!
Badger is right, even just in that one game, we not only had Roberts probably pulling Hill to soon, we had a few other players in that same game, that could have won that game for us.
There were three other players, that could have helped us win that game!
And they were not asked to do to much either!
And that is when I think about, why was McCarthy even on this roster.
The guy sure didn’t earn that right, and we only saw him come in for relief two times in the four years he was with this team, and in one of those relief appearances, he couldn’t even get one out!
Who thought he could pitch in the World Series, when he wasn’t able to pitch for almost the entire second half of the season, because he had quote blisters, or the yips.
I don’t think it was Roberts, because he never used McCarthy again!
McCarthy was a risky mistake that didn’t work. Neither did Kazmir. The genius has not manifested in free agent signings. Friedman earned his chops trading blue chip ML players for handfuls of prospects and by finding those inexpensive plus WAR players hiding in the weeds. Will they sign marquee free agents? Who knows. Not likely any time soon is my guess.
I didn’t not think our FO and coaches knew what to do with the 24th and 25th players on the roster in the WS. It’s the last series and games 6-7 are all hands on deck situations, so you really don’t need that fringe reliever. You need pitchers who can hit their spots and batters who can get their bats on the ball for those last two spots. McCarthy and Fields were head scratchers to begin with and I thought we were playing 23 vs 25 for every game except one.
YF
The fact McCarthy couldn’t manage to pitch almost the entire second half of the season, because of maybe a blister, but most likely because of the yips, is just not head scratcher, it isn’t good karma to put this guy on the World Series roster, because this guy didn’t do much for the Dodgers, in any of the three seasons, he was on the team.
Even if it takes Ryu a long time to get ready, I would bet on him over a lot of pitchers, let alone McCarthy, even if Ryu wasn’t fully warmed up, like he likes to be!
Because Ryu is a fighter, and a pitcher!
And after that second game, in a round about way, McCarthy tried to blame the way he pitched, because he wasn’t warmed up enough.
I think Ryu is going to surprise a lot of people this year, because he has that one year behind him, and he got his velocity back last year.
And I am betting that McCarthy pitches more innings this year, then he has, since his previous contract year.
It will be interesting to see if any other teams, fall for McCarthy and Kazmir, when those two need another contract, to get paid.
Interesting projections here
https://www.fangraphs.com/depthcharts.aspx?position=Standings
Apparently the West is going to tighten up a bit. Fewer wins for dbacks and Dodgers. And with what the Yankees have done, they aren’t better than Boston? I’ll take the Yankees over there.
Badger
I think the projection from Fangrafts on the Dodgers is pretty close but could still be slightly high. I think the projection on the Dbacks and Rockies are a bit low, especially the Rocks. I think they will be above .500 somewhere.
I think most projections will have the Dodgers at 94 wins. That says a couple things to me – they are still the best in the West, but they won’t do what they did last year. I do believe every team in the West but the Padres has a shot at.500.
Start the year off in moderation!!
Some things just never change.
Hey Scott, how about a resolution? FIX IT!!!!
Heading back home to Colorado tomorrow. It has been a great visit, but it is always nice to get home. Pac-12 was pitiful in bowl games, only Utah won. Will check in after I get back home…..
What, nobody cares about Dylan Baker? He could Morrow too.
Yeah, me neither.
who in the hell is Dylan Baker…????
Dylan Baker, RHP, Cleveland Indians (Double-A Akron)
After a game of soft-tossers and non-prospects, the Akron RubberDucks dug into their bullpen for a seldom-used and oft-injured arm. This outing for Baker, which was his third appearance since the end of the 2014 season and fifteenth since the end of the 2013 season, could not have gone any better. He did not waste time in establishing his dominance, striking out the first batter he faced, Tomas Nido, on three pitches. He started off Nido, a legitimate prospect that has struck out in only 11.4 percent of his plate appearances last year, with fastballs at 95 and 98 miles per hour. Yet, those two pitches paled in comparison to the ridiculous 88-mph slider he threw to Nido on the third pitch. It appeared to be heading towards the strike zone, but had tremendous late break, ending up a foot outside the plate and below the zone. The movement and velocity on the pitch make it a plus or even plus-plus pitch that has the makings of an excellent secondary weapon.
Sadly, since he was so dominant and only needed 11 pitches to mow through the heart of the Binghamton lineup, Baker only threw a slider that one time in the inning. He threw nine fastballs, none of which registered under 95 mph, with life, including a 99-mph heater he threw high and out of the zone to induce a swinging third strike against Matt Oberste. He threw a single changeup in the inning, which came outside the zone and clocked in at 87 mph. If Baker remains healthy, he has more than enough talent to be a legitimate late-inning, major-league reliever. With health again being the key, Baker has a tremendous chance to pitch key innings out of the Cleveland bullpen before the year is over and potentially play a strong role in their playoff and championship aspirations this year.
Sorry, that is not a glowing endorsement. Binghamton? If he had done that against the Nationals I might say wow. He is an atypical FAZ pickup….low risk…..High reward? Only if he can do that out of the Dodger pen regularly…there are enough injury prone pitchers in this organization as it is. So far FAZ has added Owens and this guy……I am not jumping for joy…..
Mr. Norris
This is the way FAZ does business as you have said many times and I agree with you. When it works it is actually a new way of winning and FAZ has had the good fortune of winning the division the last 3 years in a row and 5 overall and used many players and the DL to get it done. Luck surely has also played a role in their good fortune to some extent however, I believe the opposite can happen just as easily and when it does the moaning about injuries and players not living up to potential will begin. Excuses will be the norm. Long story short, I believe this good fortune will change but when is unknown, maybe this is the year we will say FAZ should have gotten Stanton and other premium players instead of diving the dumpsters and other things. We shall see.
“That year” was 2016, for me. Had we kept Chapman we’d have beaten the Cubs.
Tickets get your tickets!
See Dylan Baker pitch!
See FAZ earn your money!