Stats and records that marked the extraordinary MLB career of the potential future Hall of Famer, Clayton Kershaw
Clayton Kershaw Announces Retirement After Historic Career
After a remarkable 16-year career, Clayton Kershaw, the esteemed left-handed pitcher, has announced his retirement from Major League Baseball. The announcement was made by the Los Angeles Dodgers, the team that drafted Kershaw with the No. 7 overall pick in the 2006 Draft.
Kershaw's career has been nothing short of extraordinary. He has won 222 games, the most in baseball history among pitchers with fewer than 100 career losses. His career ERA of 2.54 is the second lowest by any pitcher with at least 2,000 innings since the Live Ball Era began in 1920. Kershaw is currently ranked 20th on the all-time strikeout leaderboard, right-handers included, and has struck out 3,000 batters, making him the fourth left-hander in history to achieve this feat.
Kershaw's dominance on the mound was evident throughout his career. He won the Cy Young award an impressive three times, in 2011, 2013, and 2014. In 2014, he also won the National League MVP award and no-hit the Colorado Rockies, striking out 15 batters in the process.
Kershaw's performance in the World Series was equally impressive. He won World Series championships with the 2020 and 2024 Dodgers and had a 2.31 ERA in 11 2⁄3 innings in his two World Series starts against the Tampa Bay Rays in 2020.
Kershaw's career ERA+ of 154 means he was 54% better than the average pitcher during his career, tied for the highest mark in baseball history among AL/NL pitchers with at least 2,000 career innings. This level of excellence is a feat that Boston Red Sox ace Garrett Crochet is currently achieving in the 2025 season.
Interestingly, Kershaw's career statistics are comparable to those of Hoyt Wilhelm, who holds the lowest ERA in the Live Ball Era with 2.52. However, Wilhelm pitched primarily in relief, while Kershaw was a starting pitcher. The only other left-hander on the top 10 pitching WAR leaderboard since the mound was lowered to its current height, besides Kershaw, is Randy Johnson.
Kershaw will begin his five-year waiting period for the Hall of Fame after the 2025 season and will be inducted during the summer of 2031. With his impressive statistics and numerous accolades, there is no doubt that Kershaw will take his rightful place among the greatest pitchers in baseball history.
Kershaw had a career winning percentage of .698, the highest in the Live Ball Era since 1920. Remarkably, his ERA in the minors was the same as in the majors, with a 2.54 ERA in close to 300 career minor-league innings.
Clayton Kershaw's retirement marks the end of an era in baseball. His contributions to the sport, both on and off the field, will not be forgotten. The Los Angeles Dodgers and their fans will always remember the impact Kershaw had on the team and the city.
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