As the curtain draws on Clayton Kershaw’s illustrious career, a reflective pause is essential to appreciate one of baseball’s legendary pitchers. After missing the entire postseason due to injury while witnessing his Dodgers triumph in the World Series, Kershaw has decided the time is right to retire from MLB, closing a 17-season chapter exclusively spent in a Los Angeles Dodgers uniform.
Kershaw’s list of accolades reads like that of a baseball titan: an MVP award, three Cy Young Awards, ten All-Star selections, and five ERA titles. His influence on the mound has been nothing short of remarkable. Even as recently as 2023, Kershaw was an All-Star, a testament to his enduring excellence. However, the 2024 season didn’t pan out as he had envisioned, recording only seven starts with a 2-2 record and a 4.50 ERA—numbers that perhaps pushed him to consider the inevitable. Looking ahead to what would have been his 37th year, Kershaw seems to have decided that preserving his legacy as a Dodger was preferable to the prospect of extending his career with another franchise.
This offseason, Kershaw underwent surgeries on his knee and toe—an indication of battles fought as time took its toll. Though whispers suggest he might have been eyeing a return in 2025, the odds are stacked against him. Not only has age and injury played a part, but the Dodgers’ rotation has become a crowded room full of talent. With the off-season acquisitions of Blake Snell, and existing players like Yoshinobu Yamamoto and Tyler Glasnow, plus the probable return of stars like Walker Buehler and Jack Flaherty, space and opportunity for Kershaw have become scarce commodities.
One could argue there might have been innings up for grabs somewhere else, in another uniform. Yet, one has to ponder—after nearly two decades of donning the Dodger blue and crafting a legacy so intertwined with a single franchise, would that really be the fairy tale ending? It seems Kershaw has chosen the poetic route, opting to hang up his glove in a manner befitting a true Dodgers legend.
Thus, as Kershaw bows out, he solidifies his legacy not just as a remarkable pitcher, but as an enduring symbol of dedication and excellence in iconic Dodger history. As fans, we celebrate not only a player who held a masterful command on the diamond but also a career that inspires awe and gratitude. Here’s to Clayton Kershaw—the pride of Los Angeles who gave the game everything he had, and then some.
