Retiring Dodgers’ legend Clayton Kershaw could be last of the 3000K club
Clayton Kershaw’s retirement announcement Thursday evening marked the end of an era for the Los Angeles Dodgers and perhaps Major League Baseball. The 37-year-old left-hander is regarded as the greatest pitcher of his generation and one of the best of all time.
“I’m going to call it. I’m going to retire,” Kershaw said to begin his press conference. “We talked about it a lot. Ellen and I talked about it a lot. The kiddos talked about it a lot. I’m at peace with it. I think it’s the right time.”
Kerhsaw’s final start
Friday night, Kershaw will make the final regular-season start of his 18-year career in front of a full house at Dodger Stadium. His resume includes 222 wins, three Cy Young Awards, 11 All-Star appearances, and two World Series championships. Drafted in the 2006 June Amateur Draft by Los Angeles, Kershaw has played his entire career with the Dodgers.
He became a member of one of the most exclusive clubs in sports in July when he recorded his 3000th strikeout. It was a milestone that likely made his decision Thursday that much easier. It’s a feat that may not be duplicated for decades, if ever.
Only three active players are on the list: Kershaw stands at No. 20 all-time, Max Scherzer ranks 11th, and 42-year-old Justin Verlander sits at No. 8. They will all likely be inducted into the Hall of Fame once their careers are finished. The list of players who could reach the milestone next is short.
Does anyone else have a chance to get to 3,000 strikeouts?
Chris Sale has the best chance to hit 3,000 with less than 500 strikeouts to go, but he is 36 years old and prone to injury. Gerrit Cole is also a possibility, but he is 34 and has missed the last year and a half due to injury. A player’s age and durability are the key factors, and Kershaw was especially durable until the last few years of his career.
Two younger players to keep an eye on are Freddy Peralta (1,144 strikeouts) and the reigning American League Cy Young winner, Tarik Skubal (881 strikeouts). Both are 28 years old, but they’ll need to stay on a 200-strikeouts-per-year pace, or it will be an uphill climb.
Kershaw can add to his 3,039 strikeout total Friday night. His recent appearances have kept the Dodgers atop the National League West division. He posted a 5-0 record with an ERA of 1.88 in August. Kershaw was asked why he is hanging it up now when he can still compete. He said simply, “You never want to pitch bad.”
“Obviously, we have another month to play. We have a lot of great pitchers, so everybody’s role is kind of up in the air at this point.” Kershaw said. “I just didn’t want this opportunity to pass by, and it just kind of felt like the right thing to do.”
What about the playoffs?
The lefty is well aware of the fact that the Dodgers have four starters ahead of him in the playoff pecking order. Barring an injury to one of those guys, he’ll likely be pitching out of the bullpen in the postseason, which is why he wanted to say goodbye to the fans now.
“It’s been a wild ride, and they’ve been behind us the whole every step of the way,” Kershaw said. “It hasn’t been a smooth ride. We’ve had our ups and downs, for sure. I’m just super grateful to every single Dodger fan that’s come through.”
Chavez Ravine will be full on Friday night. Tickets on Stubhub to see Kershaw’s final start range from a high of $10,000 down to $200 just to get in the door, at last check.
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Ella Rae Greene, Editor In Chief
