Kenley Jansen could return as baseball's best closer after losing 25 pounds
Every year, there are dozens of stories about players who come into Spring Training “in the best shape of their life” to the point that the phrase has become one of the sport’s most overwrought cliches.
But Kenley Jansen just might be the best example of this in recent memory. After undergoing another heart procedure, the Los Angeles Dodgers closer has already lost 25 pounds this offseason with several weeks until pitchers and catchers report to Camelback Ranch, Arizona.
According to a report from the Los Angeles Times’ Jorge Castillo, Jansen has given up carbs since the season ended, which has aided the weight loss. And with the closer at his lowest weight since 2012 — his third season in the majors — Jansen may be in for a bounceback year to reclaim his throne as the game’s best closer.
“It was a struggle … but I did it,” Jansen told Castillo at the Dodgers’ annual FanFest on Saturday. “I did it. It kind of messed up right at Christmas, when I had rice for the first time. But now I’m watching what I’m eating.”
What prompted Jansen to lose so much weight?
Jansen has always been among the league’s biggest players. At 6-foot-5, 275 pounds, only Lance Lynn (280), Aaron Judge (282), Bartolo Colon (285) and CC Sabathia (300) were listed at a heavier weight last season.
Jansen has pitched effectively at that weight, but he chose to lose weight to take care of his health. The 31-year-old has a condition that can leave him with an irregular heartbeat, which can be exacerbated at higher altitudes. After he suffered an atrial fibrillation episode in August in Denver, Jansen underwent his second corrective heart surgery in six years last November.
According to Castillo’s report, Jansen’s doctor told him that his heart will only ever be at 95 percent going forward. He is confident that his issues are behind him, however, and since Jansen is off blood thinners, he expects to pitch in Denver this season after skipping the Dodgers’ final road trip of 2018 to visit the Colorado Rockies.
“You see how your body feels and all [that] good stuff that when you put it in your body, it’s not good for my heart,” Jansen said. “So let’s worry about health first. I want to take care of my heart. I don’t want to do another surgery, man, on that heart. So I got to take care of myself.”
What could this mean for Jansen’s production?
Last season was up and down for Jansen, even before considering his health problems. While a 3.01 ERA and a 28.4 percent strikeout rate would be great for most pitchers, those marked career-worsts. In the previous two seasons, he was the game’s best closer with a 1.58 ERA and a 41.8 percent strikeout rate.
Jansen was particularly hurt by the long ball; his 15.9 HR/FB rate was more than 50 percent higher than his previous worst. That culminated in him blowing two saves in the World Series after giving up home runs to Jackie Bradley Jr. and series MVP Steve Pearce.
Some of his relative struggles can be attributed to his health. Beyond the heart trouble, he also dealt with hamstring issues early in 2018, which he said created “bad habits” in trying to make up for lost velocity.
It remains to be seen if shedding the 25 pounds — and potentially more before the seasons starts — will affect Jansen’s velocity. Former Milwaukee Brewer Prince Fielder famously went vegetarian for all of three months but stopped when he hit for less power. But being in better condition and feeling well should go a long way if Jansen is to return to his peak form.
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