LOS ANGELES (AP) — Clayton Kershaw joined the Los Angeles Dodgers in May 2008 as a tantalizing 20-year-old left-hander who soon showed that the considerable hype around him was quite justified.
He will leave Chavez Ravine this fall with an overstuffed trophy case, a massive list of statistical superlatives and a future appointment with Cooperstown.
During the 18 California summers in between, Kershaw became one of the greatest pitchers of his generation and one of Los Angeles’ most beloved athletes of the 21st century. The shaggy-haired lefty with a high leg kick and a delightful hitch in his delivery has won 222 games, three Cy Young Awards, an NL MVP trophy and two World Series rings during an epic career.
Kershaw announced his impending retirement Thursday, a day before he makes his final regular-season start at Dodger Stadium. After dominating the sport during his first major league decade, he has remained an enduring fixture at Chavez Ravine throughout the Dodgers’ current renaissance, overcoming numerous injuries in his 30s to contribute to LA’s annual success.
“I’m at peace with it,” Kershaw said in a teary news conference attended by his pregnant wife and their four children. “I think it’s the right time. It’s been a fun year. I’ve had such a blast with this group.”
With a diabolical curveball and a fluent mastery of control, deception and pitch selection in an era of 102 mph fastballs and shredded elbow ligaments, Kershaw crafted an enduring legacy in the sport long ago.
His fans still worried that his achievements would forever be colored by his early-career postseason struggles and the Dodgers’ repeated failure to win a World Series — until he went 4-1 with a 2.93 ERA while Los Angeles won it all in the pandemic-affected 2020 postseason.
After bone spurs prevented him from contributing much to the Dodgers’ championship run in 2024, Kershaw has been a vital rotation member down the stretch of the current season. He’s 10-2 with a 3.53 ERA, a 1.22 WHIP and 71 strikeouts — including No. 3,000 in June.
Kershaw has already earned a place alongside Sandy Koufax, Don Drysdale, Don Newcombe and Fernando Valenzuela as the greatest pitchers ever to wear Dodger Blue.
While he still hopes to finish his tenure with a third World Series trophy and one last parade, Kershaw’s fans and the sport in general now have a chance to say farewell to a throwback star.
Here’s a look at Kershaw’s prolific career by the numbers:
2.54
Kershaw’s career ERA. It’s not only the lowest among active veteran pitchers, but the lowest posted by any pitcher who threw more than 2,000 innings and finished his career after 1972.
.698
Kershaw’s career winning percentage (222-96). That’s the highest for any pitcher with 200 victories since 1900.
1.02
Kershaw’s career WHIP. Yep, it’s also the best by any pitcher with 2,000 innings in the live ball era since 1920.
2
Kershaw’s number of runner-up finishes in the NL Cy Young Award balloting to go along with his three wins, which are tied for the fifth-most in MLB history.
4
The number of left-handers in baseball history with 3,000 strikeouts after Kershaw joined the club in July. Only 20 total pitchers have done it.
18
His seasons with the Dodgers, tying him with Bill Russell and Zack Wheat for the most in franchise history.
6/18/2014
The date of Kershaw’s only no-hitter, in which he struck out 15 Colorado Rockies at Dodger Stadium and allowed his only baserunner on a seventh-inning error by Hanley Ramirez. It’s considered one of the most impressive no-hitters in baseball history.
154
Kershaw’s career ERA+, tied with Pedro Martinez for the best in MLB history among pitchers with more than 1,500 innings.
113
Kershaw’s total base hits as an above-average NL pitcher at the plate. He even hit a homer in 2013 — a season in which he also drove in 10 runs.
11
Kershaw’s total All-Star Game selections, the fourth most among pitchers in MLB history. He appeared in the 2025 game as a commissioner’s special pick, and he retired Home Run Derby champions Cal Raleigh and Vladimir Guerrero Jr.
6,326
Days between Kershaw’s first regular-season start at Dodger Stadium and his last on Friday.
22
Kershaw’s uniform number since his second major league start, after he wore 54 for his debut. It’s almost certainly the next number to be retired by the Dodgers.
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AP MLB: https://apnews.com/MLB
