Clayton Kershaw's position among Major League Baseball's greatest pitchers of all time and the reasons for his ranking within the top twenty upon his retirement from the Dodgers are being discussed.
Clayton Kershaw: A Modern-Day Pitching Legend
Clayton Kershaw, a name synonymous with greatness in the world of baseball, has established himself as one of the most dominant pitchers of the current century. Kershaw, a left-handed hurler, joins the likes of Justin Verlander, Max Scherzer, and Zack Greinke as the Big Three pitchers of the 21st century.
Kershaw's illustrious career has seen him claim three Cy Young awards, an MVP, and five ERA titles. His pitching prowess has earned him a place among the top Southpaws all-time in terms of Wins Above Replacement (WAR), ranking sixth. He shares this elite company with legendary pitchers such as Lefty Grove, Randy Johnson, Warren Spahn, Eddie Plank, Steve Carlton, Tom Glavine, Carl Hubbell, and Sandy Koufax.
Kershaw's peak performance is often compared to that of the legendary Sandy Koufax. However, Kershaw's career has been longer and more consistent, earning him a place among the five greatest left-handed pitchers of all time. He is ranked alongside Grove, Johnson, Spahn, and Carlton.
Kershaw's dominance is evident in the statistics. He has led the league in ERA five times, innings once, strikeouts three times, and WHIP four times. This consistency has placed him fourth in wins and strikeouts in the 2000s.
The JAWS system, which attempts to measure a player's career performance, ranks Kershaw 20th all-time. The pitchers ranked above him are some of the greatest to have ever graced the mound, including Walter Johnson, Cy Young, Roger Clemens, Grover Alexander, Lefty Grove, Tom Seaver, Kid Nichols, Greg Maddux, Randy Johnson, Christy Mathewson, Warren Spahn, Pedro Martinez, Bob Gibson, Phil Niekro, Steve Carlton, Eddie Plank, Justin Verlander, and Gaylord Perry.
Kershaw's career performance is generally considered impressive, with only a few potential nitpicks. One of these is his workload, which was significantly lower than some Hall of Fame pitchers from previous eras, such as Lefty Grove and Steve Carlton.
Despite this, Kershaw's career statistics support the argument that he was one of the 20 greatest pitchers of all time. His career spanned 18 years, during which he faced hulking power hitters.
As his career as a Dodgers legend nears completion, Kershaw is expected to receive over 90% of the vote for the Baseball Hall of Fame on his first ballot. His legacy as one of the greatest pitchers of all time is secure.
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