Connor Wong, like many, was taken aback by watching Boston Red Sox closer Kenley Jansen become the seventh pitcher in Major League Baseball to record 400 saves, doing so Wednesday night against the Atlanta Braves.
But unlike everyone else, Wong sat behind the plate and caught Jansen, which came as more of a stunning moment than getting a first-hand view of the celebratory moment unfolding right in front of him. The 26-year-old catcher explained just what shocked him most about catching Jansen during that historic ninth inning at Truist Park.
"I don't think I've seen a cutter like that -- hitting or catching," Wong told MLB Network Radio on Thursday. "That thing just explodes and last night obviously that thing got up to 99 (mph). That thing is just jumping out of his hand and taking off."
Jansen's velocity was the most notable eyebrow-raiser of the night, clocking in speed that hadn't been seen in recent years from the 35-year-old veteran, even during his National League-leading 41-save campaign with the Braves in 2022. His average cutter velocity reached 97 mph, peaking at 99, which marked the hardest Jansen's thrown since August 2016 with the Los Angeles Dodgers, according to MLB Network.
Then again, perhaps Jansen's catching days, which date back to the 2013 World Baseball Classic, might be paying off.
"We knew it was coming up and I wasn't quite sure that that was actually the one," Wong explained. "I had to make sure afterwards, but just what an incredible feat. It speaks to his longevity, his perseverance and his determination, all that stuff."
