Kenley Jansen calls for MLB to revisit pitch clock: 'Put your egos and pride aside'

The pitch clock is once again under fire after a rash of injuries to pitchers around the league. We’ve already seen Gerrit Cole, Spencer Strider, and Shane Bieber hit the injured list this season, and that’s just three of the biggest names.

Boston Red Sox closer Kenley Jansen didn’t hold back in giving his thoughts on the pitch clock while appearing on the Audacy original podcast “Baseball Isn’t Boring” on Monday.

“You can tell any bodybuilder when they go to competitions or whatever or when they’re doing their lifting, cut their two-minute break in between by 30 seconds. What do you think is going to happen?” Jansen said. “If you’re going to deadlift or do whatever and you got to do five, six reps, and then instead of taking a minute-thirty break, or even two, and then do it in 18 seconds, what do you think is going to happen? … Their back’s going to blow, right?”

There has already been an increase in pitching injuries just a few weeks into the new season. While there may be a variety of factors, shortening the pitch clock seems to be one of the main culprits.

“We got to sit here and be honest with ourself,” Jansen continued, acknowledging that there may be other factors like pitchers’ deliveries and max-effort throwing. “If you’re going to be on a torque every time less than 15 seconds, what do you think is going to happen? Pitchers can not step off and catch their breath and take a deep breath.”

Jansen stressed the importance of being able to slow your body down and breathe.

“You’re not giving your body a chance to recover. I’m not saying be out there 30 seconds between every pitch. I’m not saying to eliminate the pitch clock either. But why so rushed?” he said. “15 seconds and 18 seconds instead of having 20 seconds, 20 seconds no matter what, men on base or men not on base, and have a pitcher step off once or twice to catch his breath.”

As a closer, Jansen typically only pitches one inning. He can feel the stress of just one inning of work with the pitch clock and sees the injuries to starters around the league.

“At some point, we got to look at ourselves and just grab our ego and take our pride away instead of trying to be the genius of the freaking league,” he said. “It’s hurting the game also. You don’t want to see Gerrit Cole out. You don’t want to see (Shane) Bieber out. You don’t want to see (Spencer) Strider out…

“I wish they can revisit this matter and put your egos and pride aside,” Jansen continued. “It’s OK, we tried it, we all tried it, but make an adjustment. Make an adjustment with it because it’s hurting the game.”

Although relief pitchers may only throw an inning (or less), they also have other factors like a clock coming in from the bullpen prior to warming up.

“You take down 30 now seconds for us to run (to the mound) and we can’t even catch our breath, and then we got to throw the ball before certain seconds and then we need to be ready to throw the ball,” he said. “Innings go so fast. The league is such a free-swinging league now that you don’t see guys work the counts anymore, so by the time it’s a 1-2-3 inning we don’t have time to warm up in the bullpen, and then we have to run, and then we have to warm up. What do you think is going to happen with us in the long run? We’re going to blow out.”

Unfortunately, the players are at the mercy of the league.

“What can we do?” Jansen continued. “We just got to follow the rules, something that major league can just change any time, any day, and doesn’t even talk to the players about it.”

Jansen has never been one to shy away from tough subjects like this one.

“That’s the truth, man. I hear so many people on TV saying this and that. Just say the truth, man. Say the truth and don’t beat around the bush,” he said. “I never beat around the bush my whole life. I always say what I have to say. That’s who I am, I don’t care.

“I’m not saying to take the pitch clock away. I’m just saying to make an adjustment to it. You don’t want a guy like me to throw a pitch every 28 or 30 seconds either. I’m OK with it to throw under 20 seconds. But we got to do something, sometimes the pitcher needs a breather. If a hitter can ask timeout, a pitcher should ask timeout too to catch his breath.”