The Boston Red Sox have been playing well through their first 89 games of the 2024 MLB season, which is a big reason that they had three players (Rafael Devers, Tanner Houck and Jarren Duran) make the All-Star game.
However, Boston should’ve had at least one more representative make the team – closer Kenley Jansen.
Jansen, 36, is having one of the best seasons of his 15-year career, posting a 2.01 ERA and a 1.053 WHIP in his 31 appearances.
The Red Sox closer is more deserving than New York Yankees reliever Clay Holmes, who has posted a 3.00 ERA and 1.306 WHIP in 37 appearances. Jansen leads in both Baseball Reference WAR (1.5 to 0.5) and Fangraphs WAR (1.2 to 0.9). He also has a higher strikeout percentage (28% to 23.9%) and a lower FIP (2.18 to 2.67).
Holmes leads in saves, strikeouts and innings pitched (of course, because he’s pitched in more games). He does have a lower walk rate (5.2% to 9.6%).
Jansen shouldn’t have knocked out Cleveland Guardians’ Emmanuel Clase, Oakland Atheltics’ Mason Miller or Texas Rangers’ Kirby Yates, but he deserved to make the All-Star roster over Holmes.
