by www.baseballeurope.com
22-year-old Dutch National Team star Kenley Jansen made his MLB debut on Saturday 24th July in the Los Angeles Dodgers 3-2 win over the New York Mets. In his first appearance, Jansen pitched a 1-2-3 inning, striking out two of the batters. Only a day later, again coming on in relief to pitch against the Mets, Jansen recorded his first Major League save when he repeated his stellar performance, retiring all three batters he faced and adding another two strikeouts to his total. The Dodgers won Sunday’s game 1-0.
The 6’6”, 220lb Jansen’s outstanding performance comes less than a year after he began pitching—until the middle of last season, he was a catcher with a strong arm. Signed to the Dodgers as a non-drafted free agent nearly six years ago, Jansen was the starting catcher for Team Netherlands in the 2009 World Baseball Classic, throwing Willy Taveras out in the ninth inning of the team’s shock upset of the Dominican Republic.
Clive Russell, Managing Director of Major League Baseball Europe, Middle East, and Africa, said “Dutch participation in the World Baseball Classic, particularly their wins over the Dominican Republic, has shown that Dutch players can compete against the best in the world. Jansen’s promotion and immediate success only further confirm this situation.”
Robert Eenhoorn, former New York Yankees and Anaheim Angels player as well as former manager of the Dutch national team, said “Kenley is an amazing story. We’ve always known he is blessed with a great arm, and even as a catcher he knew how to call a game. Now he’s got the ball in his own hands and to be able to step on the mound and move up this fast is fantastic.”
There are currently 55 players with Dutch nationality signed to professional MLB contracts with teams including the New York Mets, Chicago Cubs, and Boston Red Sox. MLB is proud to support the Koninklijke Nederlandse Baseball en Softball Bond and its successful development of baseball in the Netherlands.