TEMPE, Ariz. — It was Aug. 3 of last season, the Los Angeles Angels had just traded their closer and Ben Joyce was getting the first save chance of his young big-league career.
The game was in Anaheim, against the Mets on a Saturday night. They’d come back late to take a one-run lead into the ninth. It was a high-profile chance for Joyce to cement himself as a ninth-inning presence. And that’s why he reared back and threw a 104.7 mph fastball to strike out J.D. Martinez to end the game. A hapless whiff against heat no one could touch.
“I’ve never seen a fastball like that,” said Martinez, a six-time All-Star and 14-year MLB vet. “That was the fastest fastball I’ve ever faced. I never look at the radar, I just looked at it after that one. Because that was different.”
It appeared Joyce then was on a fast track to a full-time closer’s role. That was the conventional thinking throughout the offseason, right up until Tuesday, the eve of pitchers and catchers reporting. That’s when the Angels signed Kenley Jansen.
While the team hasn’t publicly spoken about Jansen because he’s yet to take his physical, it has plans to utilize him as the full-time closer. At 447 saves for his career, the 37-year-old is fourth all time. He’s 53 away from 500 and just 31 away from Lee Smith for third. He signed with the Angels for the opportunity to close.
“I’m very excited. He has almost 500 career saves,” Joyce said. “It’s awesome to get to learn from a guy like that. I’m going to just be an open book. Keep my ears open. Try to pick his brain as much as possible. That’s where I want to go in my career.”
Obviously, having two capable closers is a good problem to have. Put it this way: The Angels have had, and still have, many more challenging issues to contend with. But it nonetheless remains a fascinating dynamic the team must navigate.
In some respects, it makes sense for both Joyce and Jansen to get ninth-inning opportunities. Jansen will be one of the older relievers in the game. His strikeout percentages were down last year, relative to his career averages, and he allowed 79.8 percent zone contact, well up from his 73.5 percent career average. He still was a highly effective reliever. But time remains undefeated.
Then there’s Joyce, who just three years ago hardly pitched at the collegiate level as the Tennessee program tried to navigate arm injuries. The 24-year-old missed significant time in 2023 and the end of the 2024 season with ailments. Pitching back-to-back games has been a concern.
It probably wouldn’t have been ideal for Joyce to be relied on as a full-time closer. And Jansen might benefit from some assistance in that role, as well.
Kenley Jansen saved 27 games with a 3.29 ERA for the Red Sox in 2024. (Luke Hales / Getty Images)
“I look at him as our future,” manager Ron Washington said of Joyce. “And we brought some experience in, so he could gain some experience. We’re not certain if (Joyce) can handle going out there every night, saving a ballgame. He’ll get an opportunity when our closer is down.
“But right now, we just want to keep him healthy. He’s never had a full season where he was healthy. That’s our purpose this year.”
To that end, Joyce believes he’s better prepared for the rigors of a full season. He acknowledged that the back-to-backs wore on him last season, which contributed to him being shut down in September.
Part of that has necessitated doing less. He’s someone who enjoys being on the go, constantly working. He’s openly admitted to wanting to throw harder than the 105.5 mph that he reached last year. He puts in a ton of work physically to make that happen. Still, he acknowledged, there’s balance.
“It’s been a learning process,” Joyce said. “I’ve learned a lot about what I need to do and what I don’t need to do. It’s a long season, you have to prioritize your rest when you get it. And recovery routines, and all that stuff. I have to take advantage of the rest days and learn from the guys around me.”
This time around, Joyce does not have to earn a job. He has one sewn up. The role, however, is less defined. The best guess would likely be setup man, backup closer and someone who can throw multiple innings when needed.
While everyone knows Joyce for his fastball, his effectiveness skyrocketed when he added a splinker, a splitter-sinker hybrid with movement that sits at over 96 mph. In his first three outings of 2024, before adding the splinker, he allowed five earned runs in six outs. He then went 18 appearances (22 2/3 innings) without giving up a run.
“He’s one of the hardest workers we have. Such a pro in everything he does,” said Logan O’Hoppe, who is Joyce’s catcher, friend and roommate. “He’s going to be in a big role for us, helping us out. And he knows that, and he’s ready for whatever that might be. I’m grateful that we have him because I don’t want to be standing with a bat in my hands facing 105.”
He is right that Joyce will have a big role, this season and in the future. But that role, as it stands today, is still a lot different than the one he and everyone else expected it to be just days ago.
Someday, Joyce hopes, he’ll be like Jansen. An all-time great in a role suited for a pitcher like Joyce. But for now, even if it was unexpected, he’ll remain an understudy.
“I’m trying to stay where my feet are,” Joyce said. “I just want to win at the end of the day. If (Jansen) can help us win, I’m all for it. At the end of the day, I just want to win. Play in the playoffs. Whatever my role is, I hope that I can help the team win. I’m not going to try and control what I can’t control.”
(Top photo of Ben Joyce: Jess Rapfogel / Getty Images)
