Clayton Kershaw Reaffirms Career Magnificence With 3,000 Strikeouts

Clayton Kershaw of the Los Angeles Dodgers has become the 20th member of Major League Baseball’s 3,000 strikeout club in a magnificent pitching career that spans 18 seasons. The historic feat was last achieved by right-handed pitcher Max Scherzer in September 2021 while he and Kershaw were teammates on the Dodgers. Kershaw struck out third baseman Vinny Capra of the Chicago White Sox with a slider on a 1-2 count in the top of the sixth inning. His 100th and final pitch of the evening secured a spot in an exclusive pitching fraternity where 14 of the members have won a combined 42 Cy Young Awards. Along with Hall of Fame right-handers Bob Gibson and Walter Johnson, Kershaw is one of three pitchers who have worn one major league uniform and accumulated at least 3,000 strikeouts.

While not factoring into the decision of a 5-4 victory versus the White Sox at Dodger Stadium, the 37-year-old Kershaw joins Hall of Famers Randy Johnson (4,875), Steve Carlton (4,136) and CC Sabathia (3,093) as the only left-handed pitchers among those who have amassed at least 3,000 strikeouts. According to Baseball-Reference, he has struck out 959 different batters over 2,787.1 innings. Former major league first baseman and outfielder Brandon Belt sits atop this list as Kershaw struck him out 30 times over 67 plate appearances. Kershaw’s accomplishment takes on greater significance since he could be one of the last ball players to earn entry into this prestigious club given how starting pitchers are utilized in the modern game.

Who’s Next After Clayton Kershaw?

After Kershaw, left-hander Chris Sale of the Atlanta Braves is next among active pitchers with 2,528 strikeouts. A veteran of 15 major league seasons, the 2024 National League Cy Young Award winner was recently transferred to the 60-day injured list with a fractured left rib cage. Injuries in recent years have derailed the 36-year-old Sale’s Hall of Fame career trajectory on multiple occasions. Right-handed pitcher Gerrit Cole of the New York Yankees is behind Sale on the active list with 2,251 strikeouts. The 34-year-old Cole is currently recovering from reconstructive elbow surgery and won’t return to action until the 2026 season.

Besides the unpredictability of injuries, starting pitchers are also confronting pitch count limitations and rarely compete against an opponent’s batting order more than twice in a ball game. Statistical production is usually limited to 18 batters or 100 pitches per outing, whichever comes first for a starting pitcher. The major league average last season for pitches per game started was 85 whereas the innings pitched per game started was 5.2 according to Baseball-Reference. In Kershaw’s rookie season (2008), the major league average for pitches per game started was 95 with 5.8 being the innings pitched per game started. Presently, Kershaw’s pitches per game started is 96 and 6.4 innings pitched per game started for his career.

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Durability Of Clayton Kershaw

In 438 regular season career starts to date (441 appearances), Kershaw has pitched at least seven innings on 208 occasions according to Baseball-Reference. He has struck out at least 10 batters in a ball game 68 times with a career high 15 on two occasions. Kershaw has thrown at least 100 pitches 209 times with 132 being the maximum achieved twice in his career. The author of a June 2014 no-hitter against the Colorado Rockies, Kershaw’s résumé features 25 complete games and 15 shutouts. In the 21st century, only Hall of Fame right-handed pitcher Roy Halladay (19) has more shutouts than Kershaw.

Kershaw is one of three starting pitchers who have won at least three Cy Young Awards, one Most Valuable Player Award and accumulated at least 3,000 strikeouts. The others are right-handed pitchers Justin Verlander and Roger Clemens. In his age-42 season, Verlander’s 262 victories put him 38 away from 300 as he could become the 25th and possibly final member of this exclusive club. The pitching mentality that has defined Kershaw, Scherzer and Verlander for the past two decades is on the verge of extinction. Amid the jubilation, feelings of melancholy are evident given how baseball fans are witnessing the end of a glorious era when it comes to starting pitchers.

Brilliance Of Clayton Kershaw

Kershaw’s brilliance begins with meticulous preparation deeply rooted in durability, stubbornness and a disdain for distractions. Through experience, Kershaw has learned why it is important to slow down his tempo and how success can be achieved without overpowering opponents on every pitch. A creature of habit who finds tremendous comfort in structure and routine, Kershaw has battled anxiety and restlessness in his quest for perfection. Besides the mental exhaustion and debilitating pain that has wreaked havoc on Kershaw, he has handled endless comparisons to the iconic Sandy Koufax with grace and humility. Longevity has allowed Kershaw to accumulate several historical achievements and franchise records whereas an aura of reverence still surrounds Koufax nearly six decades after throwing his final pitch in Game Two of the 1966 World Series against the Baltimore Orioles.

The enormity of the moment isn’t lost on Kershaw, but he struggles with the concept of adoration. As someone who has been the centerpiece of a crown jewel franchise for most of his major league career, Kershaw has never succumbed to the temptations of celebrity. He demonstrates a tolerance for it, but Kershaw’s attitude suggests discomfort when it comes to being the center of attention. He would prefer to be an integral part of the Dodgers winning their ninth world championship through outstanding postseason performances and for being an exemplary teammate.

If Clayton Kershaw’s pitching career were a product life cycle, he would be in the stage of decline given his age and recent injuries. Kershaw’s latest achievement of 3,000 strikeouts is a testament to a future Hall of Famer whose dominance will be nearly impossible to replicate regardless of how starting pitchers are used in the coming years. There isn’t a greater sight in baseball than watching Kershaw throw a slider off the pitcher’s mound at Dodger Stadium. His surpassing of 3,000 strikeouts feels like a sense of closure for Kershaw while placing an exclamation point on a magnificent career.