In today’s day and age of sports, the term “generational” is probably used more than it should be. The truth is that only a very small number of players ever live up to the expectations and gravity of that term.
But for Dodgers’ longtime ace Clayton Kershaw, there’s no superlative too excessive or too hyperbolic to describe what his career has entailed. And on Wednesday against the Chicago White Sox, he added another jewel to his future Hall of Fame résumé, striking out Vinny Capra on a slider in the sixth inning for the 3,000th strikeout of his illustrious career.
The 3,000-strikeout milestone has long been a benchmark of baseball’s most elite pitchers. Through the 121-year history of Major League Baseball, only 20 players have exhibited both the dominance and the longevity to clear that threshold. The club includes names such as Nolan Ryan, Randy Johnson, Pedro Martinez and Bob Gibson, to name just a few.
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The Dodgers’ southpaw is the first hurler to reach 3,000 strikeouts since Max Scherzer joined the club back in 2021, also while a member of the Los Angeles Dodgers, and Kershaw is the third left-handed pitcher ever to reach the mark.
Over the course of his career with the Dodgers, Kershaw has accomplished about as much as a starting pitcher can achieve. Since debuting in May 2008 at the age of 20 — he struck out the first batter he faced — Kershaw has won three NL Cy Young Awards, been named an All-Star 10 times, won the ERA title five times and led the NL in strikeouts three times. He won the pitching Triple Crown and a Gold Glove in 2011, and he threw a no-hitter and won the NL MVP Award in 2014. And, of course, he’s a two-time World Series champion.
For the past 18 years, the Dodgers’ southpaw has been not only dominant on the mound but also historically great — generational, you might rightly say. Kershaw recorded a sub-3.00 ERA in 13 seasons, which includes three seasons with a sub-2.00 ERA. Since MLB lowered the mound in 1969, only Texas Rangers right-hander Jacob deGrom has a lower career ERA than Kershaw. Kershaw’s three Cy Youngs rank him fifth all time; only Roger Clemens, Randy Johnson, Steve Carlton and Greg Maddux have more.
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Being considered the ace of an organization is an honor for a starting pitcher. Being the ace for a team such as the Dodgers, one that has an extensive history of elite starting pitching, takes it to a different level. Nonetheless, Kershaw has been able to carve out his own place in history at a stadium that was once home to Sandy Koufax, the pitcher nicknamed “The Left Arm of God.” That tells you everything you need to know about Kershaw’s greatness.
Whenever he decides to call it a career, Kershaw will have his No. 22 retired at Dodger Stadium, enshrining him alongside Koufax and fellow 3,000-strikeout-club member Don Sutton in Dodgers immortality.
It’s also not hyperbolic to say that Kershaw might be the last pitcher to ever reach 3,000 strikeouts. The way the game has evolved, with pitchers throwing fewer innings and not pitching as deep into games, makes 3,000 career strikeouts feel like something from a bygone era. The only active pitcher with a realistic opportunity to get there is Braves ace Chris Sale, and he’s 472 away. The scale of this accomplishment and the unlikelihood that we will ever see it again is even more reason to celebrate Kershaw’s milestone.
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Looking forward, who knows how long Kershaw will continue to pitch for the Dodgers. L.A.’s left-hander has signed one-year deals the past few seasons, and he has never definitively said when he’s going to call it quits. Injuries have slowed him some and limited his production in recent years, but so far this season, he is once again delivering for L.A.
No matter when his career concludes, one thing is certain: Cooperstown will be calling his name for first-ballot enshrinement in the Baseball Hall of Fame. This latest accomplishment in what has already been a storied career serves as a reminder that Kershaw is not only the best starting pitcher of his generation but also one of the greatest pitchers the game of baseball has ever seen.
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