How New Rules Could Force Red Sox’s Kenley Jansen To Reinvent Himself

Watching the Boston Red Sox will be a very different experience in 2023 than it was in 2022.

Not only has the team undergone a complete roster transformation, but Major League Baseball’s new rules have been put in place to provide a significant change to the on-field product. MLB will have larger bases in 2023, which is expected to increase the number of steals moving forward. The league will also implement a 15-second pitch clock, which will force almost every pitcher to speed up their delivery.

Above all else, however, there is one change that is expected to directly impact a member of the Red Sox roster more than perhaps anyone else.

The league announced Tuesday that it would be enforcing the rules relating to illegal pitches — or “balks” — in 2023. Due to the implementation of the pitch clock, it is now seen as an unfair advantage for pitchers who have pauses in their natural deliveries.

That’s where Kenley Jansen comes in.

Jansen, who agreed to terms on a two-year deal with the Red Sox this offseason, has long been known for his funky delivery — particularly when pitching out of the stretch. Jansen routinely will come set, then twitch his front leg before delivering a pitch with runners on. This helps him hold runners on during his — quite long — delivery. You can see Jansen’s delivery in the video below.

All of that will now need to change.

The 35-year-old will need to be quicker and smoother in his delivery in 2023, a lot to ask of a veteran of 13 seasons. Jansen isn’t the only Red Sox newcomer that will be forced into switching things up, however as Richard Bleier was made famous for being called for a balk on three straight pitches in 2022.

The adjustment period for Red Sox pitchers, much like every other team, will be interesting to say the least.