Clayton Kershaw registers his 3,000th career strikeout, inching closer to the exclusive 'Immortal Club'.
**Clayton Kershaw Reaches 3,000 Strikeouts, Joining Elite Company**
Clayton Kershaw, pitching for the Los Angeles Dodgers, achieved a remarkable milestone on July 2, 2025, becoming the third pitcher in Major League Baseball (MLB) history to record 3,000 strikeouts exclusively with one team. This prestigious achievement places Kershaw alongside legendary pitchers Walter Johnson and Bob Gibson.
The milestone strikeout came in the midst of Kershaw's 18th season, which could potentially be his final year with the Dodgers. The game was played at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles, where a sellout crowd gave Kershaw a rousing ovation as he took the mound for the sixth inning.
In the game against the Chicago White Sox, Kershaw took 15 out of the 27 hitters he faced to at least two strikes, but he could only strike out three of them. The 3,000th strikeout was a slider pitched at 85 mph, and after the momentous pitch, another ovation lasted six minutes as Kershaw jumped back out of the dugout for several curtain calls.
Kershaw's achievement places him on an esteemed roster of pitchers, with only 20 having reached the 3,000 strikeout milestone in MLB history. Fellow Dodger greats Don Drysdale (2,486) and Sandy Koufax (2,396) are not even close to Kershaw on this list.
As of now, among active pitchers, Chris Sale (2,528) and Gerrit Cole (2,251) are the closest to 3,000, but both have played for multiple teams. This means that Kershaw's achievement is not going to happen again anytime soon, if ever.
Throughout his career, Kershaw has faced injuries and surgeries on his shoulder, foot, and knee. However, his resilience and determination have allowed him to continue pitching at a high level. His last game with over 100 pitches was on June 20, 2023.
Kershaw's remarkable achievement as a one-team pitcher is a testament to his consistent excellence and dedication to the Dodgers. He joins Walter Johnson, who played his entire career with the Washington Senators, and Bob Gibson, who played for the St. Louis Cardinals, as the only three pitchers to throw at least 3,000 strikeouts playing their entire careers for the same team.
In the 18th season of his career with the Los Angeles Dodgers, Clayton Kershaw achieved another milestone by joining Walter Johnson and Bob Gibson as the only pitchers in Major League Baseball (MLB) history to record 3,000 strikeouts exclusively with one team, notably in baseball's prestigious MLB. Additionally, during the game against the Chicago White Sox at Dodger Stadium, Kershaw struck out three hitters, one of which was his 3,000th, demonstrating his exceptional pitching skills in sports, particularly baseball with the Dodgers.
