Much has been made in spring training about how new Boston Red Sox reliever Kenley Jansen will handle the implementation of the pitch clock this season.
Jansen was one of the slowest workers on the mound in all of Major League Baseball a year ago and having limited time between pitches figures to be a challenge for the veteran righthander.
But with Alex Cora looking on as Jansen threw live batting practice Wednesday, he passed his first true test with the pitch clock in action. It left the Red Sox manager quite impressed and opened the door for Cora to bestow heaps of praise on Jansen.
"The pitch clock, it's going to be interesting. Hitters are used to him being slow. He was really good with it," Cora told reporters, per team-provided video. "Got some feedback from the hitters about it. His stuff is legit. This guy has had a good career so far. We always talk about him being a catcher (coming up) and now he's one of the greatest closers in the history of the game."
Jansen has recorded 391 saves in his 13-year career, good for eighth-best all-time. He presumably will have the opportunity to reach the 400-save milestone this season with the Red Sox leaning on him to close out games as part of a remodeled bullpen.
Jansen's prime years are behind him, but Cora is still confident in the 35-year-old's pitching repertoire. Jansen has lost a couple of miles per hour off his fastball -- dropping from 94.2 mph in 2016 down to 92.6 last year, according to Baseball Savant -- but it didn't seem to hurt him much last season as he led the National League with 41 saves.
While Jansen's ability on the mound stands out to Cora, he is thrilled with the approach Jansen takes when the 6-foot-5, 265-pounder isn't toeing the rubber.
"The way he goes about his business, preparation and all that. This guy is already watching video of the whole AL East, comparing his stuff with others and how it plays," Cora said. "Very professional. No coincidence he was part of what they're accomplishing over there and he was a big part of it. We're very pleased with not only what he's doing on the field, but in the clubhouse and with that group. He's one of the leaders of the team."
