Clayton Kershaw: One of the Greatest Dodger Pitchers in Franchise History

Published: Sunday, July 13, 2025

by Jeremy Son

Statistical Dominance

Clayton Kershaw's dominance throughout his career has been amongst the greatest in baseball history. His 2.52 career ERA and microscopic 1.01 WHIP have him in uncommon territory alongside the sport’s legends. Three Cy Young awards and the 2014 MVP award are a representation of the great heights that he has reached, which only a handful of pitchers have achieved in their careers.

But the future Hall-of-Famer has not only dominated in the statsheet. Kershaw’s pitching has been an art that numbers simply can not describe.

It goes beyond simply mowing through opposing lineups. Kershaw has defined the standard of excellence on the mound. His crushing curveball is legendary in itself, as he has sent batters to their knees with unbelievable twelve-to-six action that defies physics itself.

Possibly the greatest achievement of his incredible career came just weeks ago, when he reached 3,000 career strikeouts. Kershaw is now one of only 20 pitchers in MLB history to reach the milestone, further solidifying his legacy.

His most recent accolade, being his eleventh All-Star selection, adds yet another accomplishment to his extensive resume. But there is more behind why the southpaw stands out amongst the greatest that the sport has ever seen.

Unwavering Loyalty

Aside from the incredible numbers that Kershaw possesses, his loyalty to Los Angeles throughout his entire 18-year career testifies to his love for the team and legacy with the franchise.

It is uncommon in the modern era of baseball for players with talent like his to remain with the same team throughout such an extensive career. Kershaw’s commitment to the Dodgers only further cements his spot amongst the greatest in their history due to his dedication to bringing the team championships.

The Top 5

Dodger icons such as Sandy Koufax, Fernando Valenzuela, Don Sutton, and Orel Hershiser have cemented their careers as some of the greatest in franchise history. But Kershaw’s consistent dominance throughout his near two decades of play puts him right alongside these legends.

Beginning in 2009, Kershaw’s sophomore season in the major leagues, his ERA remained below 3.00 all the way through 2018. After that, three of his next five seasons contained an ERA under 3.00 as well.

Although Koufax posted some incredible numbers as well, especially towards the tail end of his career, his eleven seasons in the majors is a little over half of the time that Kershaw has spent giving batters nightmares.

And while Valenzuela pitched for seventeen years, Kershaw’s dominance simply outweighs his in nearly every category.

While Sutton and Hershiser are difficult to top in any category, what is clear is that Kershaw ranks right alongside these four Dodger legends.

With dominance in nearly every realm, a style of play that has defined greatness, and commitment to Los Angeles for all 18 years of his illustrious career, it is clear that Clayton Kershaw is amongst the greatest pitchers in the Dodgers’ franchise history.

Jeremy Son can be reached at jeremy.son@student.shu.edu 

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