Thursday, September 18, 2025

Copyrighted by Sarah Morris, 2025

Today, Clayton Kershaw announced the 2025 season will be his last in the major leagues. In 2031, he will be inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame.

I knew it was coming, but it shocked me. I was wishing Kershaw would be the first and only Dodger to wear the uniform for nineteen years. However, Kershaw is expecting his fifth child, a daughter. Now, he struggles to get through the sixth inning.

From his first start, I have covered his entire career. He has awed his superior talent. He accomplished every pitching accolade.

He earned three National League Cy Young awards and a National League MVP in 2014. He had a no-hitter, almost a perfect game if his shortstop hadn’t committed an error. At the time, many pundits and broadcasters thought it was the greatest pitched game ever. Kershaw has five National League ERA titles. If he hadn’t pitched for the Los Angeles Dodgers, his team wouldn’t have won seven consecutive National League Western Division titles. He played a vital role in the 2020 Dodger World Championship, breaking a 32-year drought.

Many people have criticized Kershaw’s performance in the playoffs, but no one should be criticizing him. In 2023, Kershaw started Game 1 of the NLDS against the Arizona Diamondbacks when they shelled Kershaw, but he was pitching with his left shoulder falling off his body. Earlier in his career, his manager pushed him too far after he made 32 starts. In 2017, he would have won the World Series MVP if the Houston Astros hadn’t cheated.

Throughout his 18-year career, Kershaw has worked hard every day. He has taken his career seriously, understanding that he would need to work on his conditioning. During his career, he hasn’t had Tommy John surgery. His perfectionist personality enabled him to reach the highest level of his major league career.

His pitching style has evolved over the years. As a rookie, Kershaw had a 96-mile-per-hour fastball and a 12-6 curveball. The league was hitting him hard. Joe Torre and Don Mattingly challenged Kershaw to find another pitch or go to the minor leagues. In the bullpen at Wrigley Field, with his close friend, A.J. Ellis, he developed the slider that carried him through his career, even when his velocity was decreasing. He didn’t develop a change-up until this year. It was a splitter, which almost no major leaguer could hit hard.

In July, Kershaw collected his 3,000^th strikeout against the Chicago White Sox. He has the most strikeouts by a Dodger. He was the ultimate Dodger. He did everything for the Los Angeles Dodger organization and the city of Los Angeles. He won the most admired Roberto Clemente Award in 2012. He gave back to all of us.

Thank you for everything, Clayton Kershaw! I had the honor of covering you for the entire career.