By Jacob Perrine,Total Apex Sports
Copyright yardbarker
Shortly before his final start of the 2025 MLB season, it was announced by the Dodgers organization that long-time veteran pitcher Clayton Kershaw will retire at the end of the season. The announcement comes after much speculation about Kershaw’s future, both in his baseball career and with the Dodgers. The 11-time All-Star reiterated his commitment to retire a Dodger before the season, signing a one-year, $7.5 million deal to return to the team. It seems Kershaw has delivered on his promise to retire a Dodger.
Resurgent Season for a Baseball Legend
After missing almost the entirety of the 2024 season for the Dodgers due to multiple injuries that included a torn meniscus and a bone spur in his left big toe, the former NL MVP returned to form this season. In over 20 starts this year, the 37-year-old sports a 10-2 record as a starter, along with a solid 3.53 ERA to boot.
While certainly not the strikeout savant he was in his prime, Kershaw has managed to post a 6.3 strikeout per 9-inning rate in his 18th year, which has been good enough for a total of 71 strikeouts so far this season. The Dodgers’ match-up against the San Francisco Giants on Friday will mark Kershaw’s final regular-season start at Dodger Stadium.
Cooperstown Bound
Please make no mistake that when it is all said and done for Kershaw at the end of this season, the Dodger great will undoubtedly be a 1st ballot Hall of Famer. Widely considered one of the greatest pitchers of his generation, Kershaw has had a career that many pitchers could only ever dream about. The legendary lefty has collected three Cy Young awards, an NL MVP award, and two World Series rings during his tenure with Los Angeles.
Kershaw also etched himself in baseball history this Dodgers season as well, as he became just the 20th pitcher in MLB history to record 3,000 career strikeouts, and only just the 4th left-handed pitcher to achieve this feat on top of that. There have been numerous legendary pitchers to wear the Dodger uniform, including Sandy Koufax, Don Drysdale, and Fernando Valenzuela. Clayton Kershaw will undoubtedly go down as the greatest of them all when he steps off the mound for the final time this season.
