Clayton Kershaw’s Farewell: The Greatest Dodger and One of Baseball’s Best

You don’t know what you’ve got till it’s gone, and as the 2025 MLB season came to a close on Sept. 28, so did the career of an all-time great. On Sept. 18, Clayton Kershaw of the Los Angeles Dodgers announced he would retire after 18 seasons in the league. 

Kershaw was drafted sixth overall by the Los Angeles Dodgers in 2006. It’s not only the length of his 18-year career that is remarkable, but that he remained with the Dodgers throughout it all. Since 1876, there have been 20,780 major league players. Of the players who played at least 10 seasons, only 192 remained with the same team, and only 40 of those players played for over 18 years.

Many pitchers look for that breakout moment to take their careers to the next level, put themselves on all-star ballots, and gain nationwide recognition. But Kershaw didn’t need to wait for one of these moments. From his very first MLB debut versus the St. Louis Cardinals in 2008, he established himself as a top pitcher. He pitched six innings, struck out seven batters, and held the Cardinals to two runs for a Dodgers win. 

In 2011, he solidified himself as an All-Star while winning the Cy Young Award, a Triple Crown, and an earned run average (ERA) title with an impressive 2.28. Kershaw would go on to win two more Cy Young Awards, one Gold Glove, one MVP, five ERA titles, and ten All-Star selections before the end of his regular-season career. 

His pitching dominance is also evident in his all-time ranking and statistics. Kershaw’s three Cy Young awards put him fifth all-time, while his .698 winning percentage is the highest in baseball since the live-ball era began in 1920. He also holds the second-lowest ERA in this era by 0.02 (2.54), while his 3,039 strikeouts are fourth all-time for left-handed pitchers. 

In comparison to Hall-of-Fame (HOF) left-handers, Kershaw’s stats are just as excellent, if not superior. Randy Johnson posted a 3.39 career ERA, and CC Sabathia posted a 3.74 in comparison to Kershaw’s 2.29 ERA. Jack Morris was inducted into the HOF in 2018, boasting a whopping 3.90 ERA. A fellow Dodger, Sandy Koufax, struck out 2396 batters throughout his career, while Kershaw is over 3000 and counting. Kershaw’s winning percentage of .698 tops Randy Johnson’s .571 and Tommy John’s .555. 

Kershaw, no doubt, will be a first-ballot Hall of Famer five years from now. He sustained a long, successful career for over 15 years, sticking with the same team throughout it all. His career stats rank among the best in the league’s history, and I consider his stretch between 2011-2017, when his ERA hovered around 2.1 while he struck out around 230 batters a year, to be one of the most dominant pitching peaks ever. 

People who argue against my take — that Kershaw will be first-ballot Hall of Famer as one of the most dominant left-handers ever and arguably one of the best pitchers of not only this generation, but of all time — will point to his postseason struggles. The dominance he possesses in the regular season consistently fails to translate in October. He holds a 4.49 ERA in the postseason compared to his 2.54 ERA in the regular season. In the 2023 NLDS, Kershaw gave up six runs in a third of an inning to the Arizona Diamondbacks, a series that the Diamondbacks would eventually take. No one is perfect, however, and all greats have their shortcomings. Hall of Famer Tom Glavine holds the record for the most postseason walks by a pitcher with 87, and, besides his dominant 1995 World Series performance, his postseason ERA is over 5.00. This is to say we shouldn’t not consider Kershaw for the HOF based on his lackluster postseason performances, considering he did dominate the 2020 World Series, earning himself a championship ring. We generally don’t vote players in the HOF for one or two good performances when they have a lackluster overall career; why would we not vote someone in for one or two bad performances despite having an outstanding career? 

In the 2020 World Series, Kershaw posted a 2.31 ERA, leading the Dodgers to their first championship since 1988. He earned his second World Series ring in 2024, but due to a bone spur in his left foot, he was forced to sit out. This season, the Dodgers are currently battling the Philadelphia Phillies in the NLDS. His role will look a little different this year, as Dodgers owner Bill Roberts will use Kershaw's arm out of the bullpen, despite his 12-2 record this season. 

I believe Kershaw is the best Dodger of all time. And, if, just if, the Dodgers are able to repeat winning the World Series this year, I might consider him the most dominant left-hander ever.