SAN DIEGO (DA) — Kenley Jansen earned his first save with Detroit on Friday, closing out the Tigers’ 5-2 Opening Day win over the San Diego Padres and moving within two saves of tying Lee Smith for third on the major league career list.
Jansen now has 476 career saves, fourth-most in major league history. Only Mariano Rivera, Trevor Hoffman and Smith are ahead of him.
Detroit signed Jansen to a one-year contract on Dec. 17, 2025 after he went 5-4 with 29 saves, a 2.59 ERA and a 165 ERA+ in 62 relief appearances with the Los Angeles Angels last season. His 2.4 bWAR was his second-best mark in the last eight seasons.
He joins the Tigers as one of the most accomplished relievers in major league history. Jansen leads all active pitchers in saves, appearances and games finished, with 933 appearances and 700 games finished.
His addition also gives Detroit a rare late-inning trio. The Tigers became the first team in major league history to carry three pitchers on their Opening Day roster who had at least 20 saves the previous season: Jansen with 29, Kyle Finnegan with 24 and Will Vest with 23.
A four-time All-Star, Jansen has recorded 25 or more saves in each of the last 13 seasons, excluding 2020, and topped 40 saves four times, including 41 in 2022. He has also pitched in the postseason in 10 different seasons, winning the World Series with the Dodgers in 2020 and piling up 20 career playoff saves.