Arguably the greatest pitcher in Los Angeles Dodgers history will call it a career after whenever the 2025 season ends.
Clayton Kershaw, the three-time National League Cy Young Award winner, two-time World Series champion and the 2014 NL MVP, announced he would retire when the Dodgers season ends.
Kershaw tied a Dodgers franchise record by pitching 18 seasons and became the first pitcher to ever record 3,000 career strikeouts in a Dodgers uniform, when he did so July 2 against the Chicago White Sox at Dodger Stadium.
Aside from holding the franchise record for Ks, Kersahw is No. 1 in Dodgers history in bWAR (80.4) and second in the franchise’s history in wins (222) entering his final regular-season start at Dodger Stadium on Friday night against the rival San Francisco Giants — and what could be his last outing ever on the mound at Chavez Ravine.
Why Is Clayton Kershaw Retiring?
Despite his bounce-back 2025 season, where he is 10-2 with a 3.53 ERA and was named an All-Star for the 11th time in his career, Kershaw has fighting Father Time all year.
His fastball velocity isn’t what it once was. He doesn’t strike out anywhere near as many hitters as he used to. He is averaging just 5.1 innings per start this year, and he nearly didn’t come back at all while dealing with injuries that cost him the chance to pitch in the postseason in 2024.
So that is what inevitably pushed Kershaw to call it a career after what he hopes is the second of consecutive World Series championships.
âOn behalf of the Dodgers, I congratulate Clayton on a fabulous career and thank him for the many moments he gave to Dodger fans and baseball fans everywhere, as well as for all of his profound charitable endeavors,â said Dodgers owner and chairman Mark Walter, according to The Athletic. âHis is a truly legendary career, one that we know will lead to his induction in the Baseball Hall of Fame.â
Where Does Clayton Kershaw Rank Among All-Time Dodgers Greats?
Again, he is near the very top of the Dodgers’ list of greatest pitchers, which is a remarkable feat. Yet, pitching with one organization for his whole career is the thing that hits Kershaw the hardest.
“I don’t think I put enough merit on it at times, what it means to be able to be in one organization for your entire career,” Kershaw said earlier this year, according to MLB.com. “You look at people throughout all of sports that have been able to do that, and it is special, it is. I don’t want to lose sight of that. Getting to be here for my whole career, however long that is, is definitely a goal.”
Aside from his WAR, strikeouts and wins, Kershaw is No. 1 among qualifying Dodgers pitchers in career WHIP (1.02) and ranks third among qualifying Dodgers pitchers in ERA (2.54) —Â behind only two pitchers that pitched more than 110 years ago and ahead of both Sandy Koufax and Don Drysdale.
Kershaw is fourth in franchise history in innings pitched (2,844 2/3) and could end up third behind only Sutton and Drysdale if he can throw 13 2/3 innings over his final three outings — despite playing in an era where pitching deep into games has been de-emphasized.
His 301 strikeouts in 2015 rank fourth all-time among Dodgers pitchers, and he is one of only two Dodgers pitchers to register 300-plus Ks in a season — Koufax is the only other pitcher to do so.
Kershaw is the only National League pitcher to win MVP since MLB lowered the mound after Bob Gibson’s legendary 1968 season for the St. Louis Cardinals. Kershaw went 21-3 with a 1.77 ERA, six complete games, two shutouts, a 197 ERA+, 0.86 WHIP, 1.81 FIP and 239 strikeouts in 198 1/3 innings, winning the pitcher’s Triple Crown that year.
His is only one of three Dodgers pitcher to win the NL MVP, with Koufax (1963) and Don Newcombe (1956) as the others.
Though he is maligned for his postseason struggles, Kershaw holds the Dodgers record for playoff wins (13), postseason innings (194 1/3) and strikeouts (213).
He also is 3-2 with a 4.46 ERA and 1.06 WHIP in seven career World Series starts.
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