By Donald Laible
Throughout his 18-year career with the Los Angeles Dodgers, Clayton Kershaw has performed as one of the most complete pitchers in MLB history.
The pressure will be far less on Kershaw the next time he toes the rubber on the pitcher’s mound. Coming into this season, the future Hall of Famer needed 32 strikeouts to join the 3,000 club, which, until July 2, had been attained by only 19 pitchers in the history of the game. In his ninth start of the season, the veteran lefty, who has spent his entire MLB career with the Dodgers, registered his 32nd strikeout of the season to become the 20th pitcher to collect 3,000 Ks.
At the top of the sixth inning, the 37-year-old pitching ace made baseball history by striking out Chicago White Sox third baseman Vinny Capra at Dodger Stadium. Two days after the Dodgers’ 5–4 win, Capra, himself a part of baseball history as Kershaw’s 3,000th strikeout victim, was designated for assignment by Chicago.
When Kershaw met with the media after the game, it was clear he was relieved to have reached the strikeout milestone and eager to move on to a more “normal” approach to his game.
He said he was thankful for the fans and their standing ovation, and that it was something he will never forget.
As the summer progresses, and there is a very real possibility that 2025 is his last season, Kershaw’s pitching performances will remind players and fans of just how complete of a pitching package he is.
Is he the greatest Dodgers pitcher of all time? Along with the 3,000 strikeouts, he has 10 All-Star Game appearances, three Cy Young Awards, a 2104 National League MVP Award, he won the 2011 National League Pitching Triple Crown. He tossed a no-hitter in 2014, and was part of two Dodgers’ World Series championships (2020 and 2024). This builds a strong case for declaring Kershaw the best of the best in Los Angeles history.
Different eras, different styles of pitching, different travel conditions, and advances in medical care can make it difficult to choose an absolute organizational supreme pitcher. Sandy Koufax, Don Drysdale, and Don Sutton, Cooperstown Hall of Famers all, would surely be in any conversation with those looking for Kershaw’s spot in Dodgers’ history.
Physically, for Kershaw to reach the point of pitching to Capra this past week in Los Angeles has at times been a monumental challenge. Just being in the lineup, 2,787.1 innings of work, has put a lot of wear and tear on Kershaw’s body.
Since 2008, there have been five seasons of reported back issues, elbow problems in 2021, and three seasons dealing with shoulder troubles. Throw in a herniated disc, a torn left knee meniscus, and in 2024 a sore left big toe; a bone spur that sidelined Kershaw until July. The left-handed pitching ace missed all of the postseason.
Indeed, there is very little left for Kershaw to prove. From a pitching perspective, he’s done it all. Perhaps, as a “last hurrah,” Kershaw’s manager, Dave Roberts, brings him along for the July 15 All-Star Game in Atlanta. Roberts is managing the National League squad. With 216 wins, there is no chance for Kershaw to aim for another of MLB’s illusive pitching clubs—300 victories.
But there are the 25 complete games on his resume that Kershaw has to be pleased with. In today’s MLB universe, going the distance, being on the mound for the final out in the ninth inning, is all but non-existent.
During the 2024 season, there were only 28 complete games hurled in all of MLB. This far in 2025, combined in the American and National Leagues, there have been 19 complete games thrown.
Kershaw’s career 2.52 ERA illustrates how stingy he has been with opposing hitters. In giving up fewer than three runs each time he has come up in the pitching rotation, Kershaw has well-positioned his team to outscore the opposition. Given that the average ERA in MLB history is 3.74, this ranks Kershaw 46th all-time among MLB pitchers. There is only one other active pitcher who cracks the top 50 in career ERA. Texas Rangers’ Jacob deGrom is in 43rd place with a 2.49 ERA.
Kershaw’s legacy is—understandably—the strikeout. Fans have a need for speed, watching the batters whiff, and Kershaw continues to serve up what the crowds crave. Five times during his career, Kershaw reached and/or exceeded 200 strikeouts in a season. This, too, is surely a statistic that is going away. It is rare anymore for starters to be left in a game after the fifth and sixth innings.
From a historical standpoint, in today’s MLB, Kershaw stands as one of the three greats from an era when pitchers weren’t treated as “fragile” goods. Toronto Blue Jays’ Max Scherzer, like Kershaw, is in his 18th season, has captured three Cy Young Awards, and in 2021 reached the 3,000 strikeout mark. Scherzer has 3,423 strikeouts. Justin Verlander of the San Francisco Giants has 3,476 strikeouts and 262 wins. Verlander, in all likelihood, is the last pitcher with a shot—albeit a narrow one—at reaching 300 wins.
The Dodgers, in recent years, have been quite generous financially to Kershaw, paying him millions for the pitcher he once was.
As one of the last all-around, complete pitchers in the game, when the sun sets on MLB’s 2025 season, Kershaw should consider bowing out gracefully. He has nothing left to prove. In 2013, Kershaw even clubbed a home run.
Strikeout artist, yes. Baseball player, naturally.
