Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher Kenley Jansen enters the week needing just one more save to pass Eric Gagne for sole possession of first place on the franchise's all-time saves list, per MLB Stat of the Day.
Though only 28 years old and now in his seventh MLB season, Jansen is already set to hold a key record for one of MLB's most storied franchises.
He had just four saves as a rookie in 2010 and only five more in 2011 before registering 25 in 2012 and 28 in 2013 despite working as a setup man for parts of both seasons.
Jansen has been the full-time closer the past three years, piling up 44 saves in 2014, 36 in 2015 and now 19 through the first two-and-a-half months of 2016.
His career total of 161 puts him even on the franchise leaderboard with Gagne, who collected 161 of his 187 career saves in a Dodgers uniform.
Gagne memorably won the National League Cy Young Award in 2003, remarkably converting each of his 55 save opportunities while posting a 1.20 ERA and 0.69 WHIP with 137 strikeouts and 20 walks in 82.1 innings (77 appearances).
Jansen has never approached that level of dominance, but he may end up having a superior career on the whole.
After oddly tossing exactly 82.1 innings in three straight seasons from 2002 to 2004, Gagne was never again the same pitcher, struggling with injuries and ineffectiveness while bouncing around from team to team.
Jansen did toss 76.2 innings back in 2013, but he's otherwise fallen shy of 70 in every season, and he's on pace for 64.1 innings (and 43 saves) this year.
Enjoying arguably his best season to date, the right-hander has converted 19 of his 22 save opportunities while posting a 1.59 ERA and 0.74 WHIP with 33 strikeouts and just four walks in 28.1 innings (30 appearances).
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