All You Need to Know About Clayton Kershaw
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The Los Angeles Dodgers selected Kershaw as the seventh overall choice in the 2006 MLB draft. He went on to start his professional baseball career with the rookie-level Gulf Coast League Dodgers, going 2-0 with a 1.95 ERA. He was ranked as the GCL’s best prospect due to his 96-mph fastball. The next season, Kershaw was promoted to the Great Lakes Loons. He was then assigned to the Double-A Jacksonville Suns of the Southern League.
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The Dodgers acquired Kershaw to their active roster in the spring of 2008. At the age of 20, he made his MLB debut and became the league’s youngest player. Kershaw finished his rookie season with a 5-5 record and a 4.26 ERA through 22 games. The following season, he made his playoff starting debut in the Dodgers’ NLDS victory over the St. Louis Cardinals. The Philadelphia Phillies defeated the squad in the subsequent NLCS.
Kershaw’s career highlight came in 2010 when he threw his first complete game against the San Francisco Giants. He finished the season 13-10, with a 2.91 ERA. Kershaw had his best year yet in 2011, tossing three complete games and winning the National League. He also earned the Gold Glove Award and his first Cy Young Award. Kershaw had another good year in 2012, leading the league with a 2.53 ERA and finishing second for the Cy Young.
Kershaw opened the 2013 season with a complete game against the Giants. In April, he recorded his 1,000th career strikeout. He finished the season with a league-best 1.83 ERA and earned his second Cy Young Award. Kershaw outperformed himself in 2014, finishing with a 1.77 ERA and winning his third Cy Young. He was also elected National League MVP. The next season, Kershaw became only the 11th player in MLB history to strike out 300 batters in a single season. In the Cy Young vote, he finished in third.
Kershaw’s 2016 season was marred by injuries. However, he returned in time to assist the Dodgers reach the NLDS, where they defeated the Washington Nationals. The squad eventually lost to the Chicago Cubs in the NLCS.
In 2017, Kershaw recorded his 2,000th career strikeout while winning the NLDS and NLCS. The Dodgers went on to lose seven games in the World Series against the Houston Astros. The squad returned to the World Series the next year, but lost to the Boston Red Sox. In 2019, the Dodgers advanced to the National League Division Series but were defeated by the Nationals.
The Dodgers roared back to triumph in 2020, defeating the San Diego Padres in the NLDS and the Atlanta Braves in the NLCS. Finally, the squad defeated the Tampa Bay Rays in the World Series, earning Kershaw his first World Series triumph. Following this victory, Kershaw had an injury-plagued 2021, keeping him out of the playoffs. He rebounded in 2022, setting a new franchise strikeout record with 2,697.