Kenley Jansen on the verge of 500 saves with Tigers is a double-edged sword for fans

Detroit Tigers closer Kenley Jansen is closing in on history. He has 495 saves in his career and is just five away from reaching 500. While that would be a remarkable number to reach, Tigers fans will probably have mixed feeling about it.

On the one hand, the fact that only two other pitchers in MLB history have reached 500 saves puts Jansen in rarified air. He’d join Trevor Hoffman and Mariano Rivera as the only three to ever reach that number. That just speaks to Jansen’s longevity and how good he’s been for so long.

On the other hand, he’s been a far cry from what Tigers fans were hoping for when the team signed him to a one-year, $11 million in the offseason. He’s been injured at times during the year and while his 3.51 ERA in 46 appearances and 41 innings pitched isn’t atrocious, he has only converted 19 of 25 save opportunities.

He converted 29 of 30 last season with the Los Angeles Angels, so the Tigers were definitely hoping he’d be the automatic, shut-the-door type of closer he’s been for the vast majority of his career. Many Tigers fans would probably say he should be at 500 saves already because they can likely recall five he’s blown this year. One can appreciate the history while being mildly annoyed with the player.

There’s a pretty slim chance that Jansen will hit 500 this season. He will probably have to do it next year because the odds that he can record five saves in the last 13 games of the season are small. It’s not impossible, but the team would have to win a lot of close games, and that hasn’t really been Detroit’s M.O. this season.

Jansen is not solely to blame for Tigers’ bullpen woes

Jansen’s struggles are among the more tame when it comes to the bullpen. The team has suffered a lot of injuries to its relievers. Several guys they were counting on to have solid seasons just haven’t produced, been hurt, or both.

It will be interesting to see what Detroit does to try to fix things in the offseason. A reunion with Jansen is unlikely and bullpen construction is often a very difficult task. Throwing money at a bullpen doesn’t always make it better, but the Tigers need to do something to try to bring about better results in 2027.

Jansen is going to be in the Hall of Fame someday and deserves a ton of praise for his career accomplishments, but he’s definitely not going into Cooperstown with a Tigers logo on his plaque, as this season has been one to forget.

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