Which Bullpen Duos Are Best at Finishing Games?
J.P. Howell and Kenley Jansen, Los Angeles Dodgers
| ERA | FIP | HD/SV | K/9 | WHIP | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | J.P. Howell | 1.34 | 2.81 | 23/0 | 8.5 | 1.02 |
| 2 | Kenley Jansen | 2.86 | 1.72 | 0/34 | 14.5 | 1.31 |
Although the Dodgers have Chris Perez and Brian Wilson in the pen, J.P. Howell has been their best set-up man this season. While the two former All-Stars have ERA’s over 5.00, Howell’s is 1.34. He's averaging almost five walks per nine innings, so control is a slight issue. However, he has been able to keep his FIP down, which is a result of no one hitting the ball out of the yard against him this season.
Kenley Jansen has been lock down since the start of July and only allowed one earned run over 15.2 innings of work. His 14.36 K/9 over that time span is impressive, as are his 0.57 ERA and .203 opponent’s on-base percentage. Jansen has converted eight of his last nine save opportunities, and continues to display that he’s one of the league’s best closers.
