Clayton Kershaw

Clayton Edward Kershaw (born March 19, 1988) is an American former professional baseball pitcher who played 18 seasons for the Los Angeles Dodgers of Major League Baseball (MLB). A left-handed starting pitcher, Kershaw was an 11-time National League (NL) All-Star, three-time Cy Young Award winner, and 2014 NL Most Valuable Player. He is one of 20 pitchers and four left-handers to be members of the 3,000 strikeout club. He is widely regarded as one of the greatest pitchers in baseball history.

Kershaw was drafted by the Dodgers with the seventh overall pick in the first round of the 2006 MLB draft. He worked his way through the Dodgers' farm system and reached the majors at age 20 after one season. In 2011, he won the pitching Triple Crown and the NL Cy Young Award, becoming the youngest pitcher to accomplish either of these feats since Dwight Gooden in 1985. Kershaw pitched a no-hitter on June 18, 2014. He was on the roster of the 2020 and 2025 World Series-winning teams and received a ring from the 2024 team, missing the postseason due to injuries.

Kershaw was the first pitcher to lead the MLB in earned run average (ERA) in four consecutive years (2011–2014) and also led the NL in a fifth. He was also a three-time NL wins leader and strikeouts leader. His 2.53 career ERA is the lowest among starters in the live-ball era (with at least 60 starts). Despite his great regular season performance, Kershaw was less effective in the postseason, with a 4.62 earned run average in 196+2⁄3 innings pitched. He retired from MLB after the 2025 season.

Off the field, Kershaw participates in volunteer work. He and his wife Ellen launched "Kershaw's Challenge" and wrote the book Arise: Live Out Your Faith and Dreams on Whatever Field You Find Yourself to raise money to build an orphanage in Zambia. He received the Roberto Clemente Award and Branch Rickey Award for his humanitarian work.