WBC Posts Must-See Video Of A Young Kenley Jansen

(Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images)

On Wednesday, Boston Red Sox closer Kenley Jansen accomplished a remarkable feat, shutting down the Atlanta Braves in the bottom of the ninth inning to pick up his 400th career save, becoming the seventh such closer to achieve this milestone.

The 35-year-old brought the heat against his former club and was able to keep them in check to secure a key win for the Red Sox.

However, Jansen wasn’t always a pitcher.

Back in 2009, he was competing in the World Baseball Classic as a catcher with the Netherlands.

On Twitter, the official page for the WBC congratulated the veteran reliever on his accomplishment and posted a video of him throwing out a runner trying to steal second base.

Before he became a lockdown closer, Kenley Jansen was showing off his arm as a catcher for Team Netherlands at the 2009 #WorldBaseballClassic.

Congrats on your 400th career save, @KenleyJansen74! pic.twitter.com/njNgzUdzvR

— World Baseball Classic (@WBCBaseball) May 11, 2023

It’s hard to believe, but Jansen was in fact a catcher in his early days.

This also came just a year before he was promoted to the Major Leagues by the Los Angeles Dodgers, meaning that Jansen did not have much time to transition from being a catcher to being a pitcher.

But he certainly had a rocket for an arm back behind the plate, something which has become a viable tool for him as a pitcher.

We now know where the 35-year-old gets his high velocity from.

Jansen made it to the majors in 2010 and was with the Dodgers until 2021.

He spent last season with the Braves before signing with the Red Sox.

But this shows how far Jansen has come over the course of his career and how much he has been able to accomplish in a short time.

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